Success on a biofeedback task: effects of congruence-incongruence between locus of control and psychological differentiation.

Assessed the utility of the cognitive constructs of Locus of Control and Psychological Differentiation as co-determiners of success on a biofeedback task. Eighty male and female psychology undergraduate students were divided into four groups based on median splits of scores on Levenson's Internal Locus of Control scale and on Witkin's Group Embedded Figures Test. Thus, four groups of subjects were identified: field-independent internals (Fl-I; n = 17), field-dependent externals (FD-E; n = 23), field-dependent internals (FD-I; n = 19), and field-independent externals (Fl-E; n = 21). The first two groups consisted of individuals whose locus of control orientation was congruent with their perceptual style and the last two contained the incongruent subjects. Fifteen subjects were randomly selected from each of the four groups resulting in a total sample of 60 subjects. All subjects were told to decrease their GSR using biofeedback during each of five, 2-minute trials. A 1-minute rest period was provided between each trial. Analysis of variance revealed that congruent subjects decreased their GSR significantly (p less than .01) more than incongruent subjects. Scheffe's test revealed that all subjects were able to learn to significantly decrease GSR. Additional research designed to examine the utility of the congruence-incongruence dimensions in biofeedback seems warranted.