Emotional Regulation and Biofeedback Training

Emotional Regulation and Biofeedback training (PSYM21-MO-INTV-111)

Thursdays, 15h30-17h00 (IZU-P1)

The course is led by Andrei Morales (contato.andreimorales@gmail.com)

Aim of the course: 

The aim of this course is to provide students a broad understanding of biofeedback as an intervention tool, with special focus on Electrodermal Activity. Through the study of emotions and stress from a psychophyisological point of view, we will go through methods for attention training and emotion regulation integrating mindfulness principles, relaxation techniques and basic group based Cognitive Behavioral Techniques. We will explore the emotional arousal under different contexts such as pain, general life stressors, anxiety and other life issues. To achieve these goals, an active methodology and a gamification strategy will be used to provide a good balance between theory and practice.

Learning outcome, competences

knowledge:

    • Understanding the application of biofeedback based interventions;

    • Understanding psychophysiological patterns of stress and anxiety;

    • To be acquainted to basic group therapeutic processes. 

attitude:

    • Scientific reasoning in selecting and creating biofeedback based interventions;

    • Critical thinking on selecting relevant literature for Biofeedback research and interventions

    • Professional thinking on developing biofeedback tasks for research and intervention

skills:

    • To analyize basic EDA outputs 

    • To use adequately Obimon EDA devices for measuring EDA arousal

    • To formulate independent opinion about Biofeedback interventions and research.

Topics of the course

    • Introduction to the course stress structure and requirements, emotions and emotional regulation. Getting acquainted with obimon EDA and tasks. 

    • Practical use of EDA CTW

    • Application of biofeedback interventions for different conditions (e.g Anxiety, Pain, Insomnia).

    • Arousal theory and psychophysiology of Galvanic Skin Responses 

    • Biofeedback and mood disorders 

    • Biofeedback and functional disorders 

    • Mindfulness, acceptance, biofeedback training and its relation with third generation cognitive behavioral therapies

    • Demonstrations on interest topics 

    • Course feedback and future outcomes 

Learning activities, learning methods

    • Group discussion

    • Presentations

    • Interaction and practice of CTW tools

Mode of evaluation:

    • In-class participation

    • Demonstration activity

Criteria of evaluation:

    • The evaluation will be made from the quality of the presentations aspects, relevance of the topic in regards the course aims 

    • Active participation in group discussions

Compulsory and recommended reading list

    • Dawson, M. E., Schell, A. M., & Filion, D. L. (2007). The electrodermal system. In Handbook of psychophysiology, 3rd ed. (pp. 159-181). New York, NY, US: Cambridge University Press.Posada-Quintero, H.F. & Chon, K.H.(2020) Innovations in Electrodermal Activity Data Collection and Signal Processing: A systematic Review. Sensors, 479, 20(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/s20020479 

    • Leher, P. M. (2018) Heart rate variability biofeedback and other psychophysiological procedures as important elements in psychotherapy. International Journal of Psychophysiology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2017.09.012 

    • Santens, E., Claes, L. & Dom, G. (2020) Effortful Control – A transdiagnostic Dimension Underlying Internalizing and Externalizing Psychopathology. Neuropsychobiology, 255-269,79(4-5). https://doi.org/10.1159/000506134 

    • Kasos K, Zimonyi S, Gonye B, Köteles F, Kasos E, Kotyuk E, Varga K, Veres A, Szekely A. (2019) Obimon: An open-source device enabling group measurement of electrodermal activity. Psychophysiology, 56(8). https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.13374

    • Khazan, I. (2015) Mindfulness- and Acceptance-based Biofeedback. Biofeedback. https://doi.org/10.5298/1081-5937-43.3.08 

    • Youcha, C. & Montgomery, D. (2008) Evidence-Based Practice in Biofeedback and Neurofeedback. International Journal of Psychophysiology.