A Comparison of Psychological and Physiological Responses to Autogenic Training and Autogenic Feedback Training: The Response of Athletes New to Autogenic Training

Abstract

This study examined how athletes new to autogenic training (AT) respond to autogenic feedback training (AFT) by comparing their psychological and physiological responses to AT and AFT. It focused on warmth sensation training (WST), a necessary component of AT. The two experimental conditions-the AT condition and AFT condition-were compared using psychological and physiological indices. Psychological indices included the Profile of Mood States (POMS) Brief Form, as well as participants' subjective ratings regarding motivation for WST and sensation of warmth. Physiological indices were skin temperature, respiration rate, and the electrocardiogram R-R interval. A Lorenz plot was constructed from the R-R interval to visualize the cardiac autonomic nervous activity. It was found that the POMS Brief Form value for vigor decreased after training under the AT condition, but it did not change under the AFT condition. The subjective evaluation score regarding motivation for WST was higher under the AFT condition than the AT condition. The subjective evaluation score regarding warmth sensation was higher under the AT condition than the AFT condition. Sympathetic nerve activity was more inhibited during and after training under the AT condition; in the AFT condition, it remained constant. Therefore, for athletes new to AT, AFT neither leads to greater relaxation nor a greater sensation of warmth compared to AT; nonetheless, AFT effectively increases athletes' motivation for AT.