BIOPOTENTIAL SIGNALS AS A FUNCTION OF LEARNING TASK DIFFICULTY.
Abstract
The present study is concerned with biopotential responses to a learning situation in which the difficulty of materials was systematically varied. In Experiment I, eight Navy enlisted men learned three lists of nonsense syllables (0%, 53% and 100% association value), while heart rate (HR), palmar skin conductance (PSC), galvanic skin responses (GSRs), and muscle action potentials (MAPs) were monitored continuously. Subjects reported for one-hour sessions on each of three successive days. Resting levels of all biopotential signals were taken at regular intervals in each of the experimental sessions. Experiment II was conducted in the same manner with eight college students as subjects. The results showed that: (1) there were definite and large increases in all of the biopotential signals during learning as compared to the resting conditions, (2) the Navy men had significant increases in both PSC and HR with the easy and moderate lists as compared with the most difficult list, (3) the college students had non-significant increases in HR as a function of ease of list. The results for the Navy subjects were interpreted in terms of motivational factors. It was suggested that the discrepancy in results for the two groups may have been due to educational and age factors. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 19, 1965
- Accession Number
- AD0625130
Entities
People
- John D. Cavallari
- John L. Andreassi