Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia as a Therapy Measurement Strategy: The Example of Functional Analytic Psychotherapy Direct Original Research
Main Article Content
Keywords
Therapy outcome, Biophysiology measurement, Polyvagal theory
Abstract
Introduction: Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) may be a psychophysiological measure that can gauge change processes in psychotherapy. RSA is a cardiovascular marker of nervous system functioning and has been proposed as an index of social engagement. Given the emphasis on social relationships in Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP), RSA may be useful for understanding the process of change in FAP. The current study details the logic of using RSA as a measurement tool and provides data to establish proof of concept.
Methods: RSA data were collected from three participants in a multiple baseline experiment which involved a control condition of reading two-person plays and a FAP condition. Sessions were coded using the FAP Rating Scale. RSA was calculated for each session and each client-therapist interaction.
Results: RSA higher during FAP sessions (P1Mean = 6.60, P2Mean = 6.41, P3Mean = 6.32) than the control condition (P1Mean = 6.29, P2Mean = 5.79, P3Mean = 5.96).
Conclusions: Data are consistent with outcomes that might be anticipated during therapy and suggest RSA could improve as a function of treatment. RSA was able to be isolated for therapeutic moves when coded at the turn-by-turn level. Thus, data suggest RSA’s utility for measuring therapy processes and outcomes.
References
2. Grossman P, Beek J, Wientjes C. A comparison of three quantification methods for estimation of respiratory sinus arrhythmia. Psychophysiology. 1990;27(6):702-714. doi:10.1111/j.1469-8986.1990.tb03198.x.
3. Porges SW, Dana D. Clinical Applications of the Polyvagal Theory - the Emergence of Polyvagal-Informed Therapies. New York, NY: W.W. Norton and Company; 2018.
4. Reis HT, Shaver P. Intimacy as an interpersonal process. In: Duck S, Hay DF, Hobfoll SE, Ickes W, Montgomery BM, eds. Handbook of Personal Relationships: Theory, Research and Interventions. John Wiley & Sons.; 1988:367-389.
5. Beauchaine TP, Katkin ES, Strassberg Z, Snarr J. Disinhibitory psychopathology in male adolescents: Discriminating conduct disorder from attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder through concurrent assessment of multiple autonomic states. Journal of Abnormal Psychology. 2001;110(4):610-624. doi:10.1037/0021-843x.110.4.610.
6. Wetterneck CT, Hart JM. Intimacy is a transdiagnostic problem for cognitive behavior therapy: Functional analytical psychotherapy is a solution. International Journal of Behavioral Consultation and Therapy. 2012;7(2-3):167-176. doi:10.1037/h0100956.
7. Maitland DWM, Kanter JW, Manbeck KE, Kuczynski AM. Relationship science informed clinically relevant behaviors in functional analytic psychotherapy: The Awareness, courage, and Love model. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science. 2017;6(4):347-359. doi:10.1016/j.jcbs.2017.07.002.
8. Maitland DW, Petts RA, Knott LE, Briggs CA, Moore JA, Gaynor ST. A randomized controlled trial of functional analytic psychotherapy versus watchful waiting: Enhancing social connectedness and reducing anxiety and avoidance. Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice. 2016;16(3):103-122. doi:10.1037/bar0000051.
9. Maitland DW, Gaynor ST. Functional analytic psychotherapy compared with supportive listening: An alternating treatments design examining distinctiveness, session evaluations, and interpersonal functioning. Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice. 2016;16(2):52-64. doi:10.1037/bar0000037.
10. Kohlenberg RJ, Tsai M. Functional Analytic Psychotherapy: Creating Intense and Curative Therapeutic Relationships. New York: Plenum; 1991.
11. Descutner CJ, Thelen MH. Development and validation of a fear-of-intimacy scale. Psychological Assessment: A Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 1991;3(2):218-225. doi:10.1037/1040-3590.3.2.218.
12. Russell DW. UCLA Loneliness Scale (version 3): Reliability, validity, and factor structure. Journal of Personality Assessment. 1996;66(1):20-40. doi:10.1207/s15327752jpa6601_2.
13. Hare RD, Harpur TJ, Hakstian AR, Forth AE, Hart SD, Newman JP. The revised psychopathy checklist: Reliability and factor structure. Psychological Assessment: A Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 1990;2(3):338-341. doi:10.1037/1040-3590.2.3.338.
14. Callaghan GM, Follette WC, Ruckstuhl LE, Linnerooth PJ. The Functional Analytic Psychotherapy Rating Scale (FAPRS): A behavioral psychotherapy coding system. The Behavior Analyst Today. 2008;9(1):98-116. doi:10.1037/h0100648.
15. Busch AM, Callaghan GM, Kanter JW, Baruch DE, Weeks C. The Functional Analytic Psychotherapy Rating Scale: A replication and extension. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy. 2009;40(1):11-19. doi:10.1007/s10879-009-9122-8.
Article Sidebar
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright, 2024 by the authors. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Daniel Maitland, Bowling Green State University
Editor-In-Chief