Effect of an upright (vs. stooped) posture on interpretation bias, imagery, and emotions

Evaluating the feasibility and exploring the efficacy of an emotion-based approach-avoidance modification training (eAAMT) in the context of perceived stress in an adult sample - protocol of a parallel randomized controlled pilot study

BACKGROUND

Stress levels and thus the risk of developing related physical and mental health conditions are rising worldwide. Dysfunctional beliefs contribute to the development of stress. Potentially, such beliefs can be modified with approach-avoidance modification trainings (AAMT). As previous research indicates that effects of AAMTs are small, there is a need for innovative ways of increasing the efficacy of these interventions. For this purpose, we aim to evaluate the feasibility of the intervention and study design and explore the efficacy of an innovative emotion-based AAMT version (eAAMT) that uses the display of emotions to move stress-inducing beliefs away from and draw stress-reducing beliefs towards oneself.

METHODS

We will conduct a parallel randomized controlled pilot study at the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany. Individuals with elevated stress levels will be randomized to one of eight study conditions (n = 10 per condition) - one of six variants of the eAAMT, an active control intervention (swipe-based AAMT), or an inactive control condition. Participants in the intervention groups will engage in four sessions of 20-30 min (e)AAMT training on consecutive days. Participants in the inactive control condition will complete the assessments via an online tool. Non-blinded assessments will be taken directly before and after the training and 1 week after training completion. The primary outcome will be perceived stress. Secondary outcomes will be dysfunctional beliefs, symptoms of depression, emotion regulation skills, and physiological stress measures. We will compute effect sizes and conduct mixed ANOVAs to explore differences in change in outcomes between the eAAMT and control conditions.

DISCUSSION

The study will provide valuable information to improve the intervention and study design. Moreover, if shown to be effective, the approach can be used as an automated smartphone-based intervention. Future research needs to identify target groups benefitting from this intervention utilized either as stand-alone treatment or an add-on intervention that is combined with other evidence-based treatments.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The trial has been registered in the German Clinical Trials Register (Deutsches Register Klinischer Studien; DRKS00023007 ; September 7, 2020).

Effects of various sitting and standing postures on arousal and valence

According to research on the effects of posture on psychological states, high-power poses-with the body spread wide open-lead to high-arousal positive emotions, whereas low-power poses-with the body slumped and constricted-lead to low-arousal negative emotions. However, postures that lead to both high-arousal negative and low-arousal positive emotions have not been investigated yet. Although relative comparisons between postures have been made, the positioning of postures on the two-dimensional coordinates created by arousal and valence has not been clarified. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore and clarify which postures lead to the four types of emotions: high-arousal negative, high-arousal positive, low-arousal negative, and low-arousal positive. In Experiment 1, 29 participants (13 men and 16 women) adopted 12 sitting postures for 1 minute each. In Experiment 2, 25 participants (13 men and 12 women) adopted six sitting and six standing postures for 1 minute each. Arousal and valence were measured after each posture, and heart rate was measured during posture maintenance. Arousal and valence after adopting the postures were compared with the neutral arousal and valence. As a result, postures leading to high-arousal negative and low-arousal positive emotions were identified. In addition, postures leading to high-arousal positive emotions, which are the high-power poses, were identified. There were no differences in the magnitude of psychological effects between sitting and standing postures.

'Touch for Health' based kinesiology interventions: An innovative qualitative research exploring clients' perspectives

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Touch for health (TFH) based kinesiology is a complementary therapy with foundations in a natural health training developed utilising techniques from chiropractic, osteopathy and acupressure therapies. Although popular, the impact of the therapy is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to understand outcomes of TFH-based kinesiology interventions that clients perceive as important in their lives.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A qualitative phenomenological approach was chosen to capture rich descriptive data. Thirteen individuals were recruited from TFH-based kinesiology practices. Focus groups included semi-structured questions, photo-elicitation and a wellness word activity to prompt discussion on impacts of interventions. Audio-recordings were transcribed, coded and grouped to develop themes. Comparisons were made and linked with the wellness model, theory of planned behaviour and mindfulness-based interventions.

RESULTS

Three interrelated themes emerged: impact on awareness, experience of effects and impact on action. TFH-based kinesiology was perceived to enhance self-awareness and feelings of wellbeing, promote self-care and support new actions to manage stress and complement conventional healthcare. The use of a mind-body approach with feedback from muscle testing and less need for dialogue were valued. Photo-elicitation generated rich narratives recounting experiences after interventions. Impacts aligned with the wellness model and resembled outcomes of mindfulness-based interventions.

CONCLUSION

This study provides an insight into experiences and impacts of TFH-based kinesiology. Interventions were seen to facilitate self-awareness, experiences of wellbeing and promote self-care. Findings contribute towards a knowledge-base to foster dialogue and inform TFH-based kinesiologists, health professionals, consumers and research of TFH-based kinesiology and comparative therapies.