ASSESSMENT, LEARNING, AND RETENTION OF HEART BEAT DISCRIMINATION

In order to answer questions about the stability, trainability, and maintenance of heart beat discrimination, 32 subjects were given tests of heart beat discrimination on 2 days before and on 2 days after discrimination training, and 28 of those subjects were again tested at a mean of 34 days following the fifth consecutive session. Subjects were tested in a successive discrimination procedure in which they chose whether signal trains were contingent or noncontingent upon heart beats. On successive blocks of trials noncontingent signals were either of variable or invariant interpulse interval in order to determine if relative pulse train variability could provide a basis for correct choices. During training half of the subjects reached a pre‐established criterion, and these subjects maintained higher levels of discrimination for the next 3 sessions. Relative pulse train variability was not a useful basis of judgment initially, although it may have aided subjects in the fifth session. Reliability of discrimination scores was low and discussion centers around this and other problems inherent in procedures reported to assess cardiac perception. Copyright © 1979, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved