Progressive muscle relaxation: effects of expectancy and type of training on measures of anxiety

The present study compared live versus taped and self relaxation training conditions under high and low expectancy conditions. Anxious college students (N = 54) were stratified according to scores on the screening instrument employed (S-R Inventory of General Trait Anxiousness) and randomly assigned to one of six training/expectancy conditions for two relaxation sessions: live-high, taped-high, self-high, live-low, taped-low, or self-low. Physiological measures of anxiety included heart rate, spontaneous skin fluctuation responses, and finger pulse volume amplitude. The Anxiety Differential was used to assess self report of anxiety. Finally, within-session relaxation ratings were elicited to evaluate differences between live and taped training conditions. Results indicated that subjects in the high expectancy condition showed a significantly greater decrease in heart rate and spontaneous skin fluctuation responses than low expectancy subjects, but no differences were found with the self report measure of anxiety. There were no differences due to type of training (live, taped, self). Within-session relaxation ratings indicated increased relaxation across sessions, but no differences across type of training. Results were discussed in terms of the multidimensionality of the anxiety construct and. the role of expectancy factors in progressive muscle relaxation procedures.