The effects of self-efficacy and gender upon ability to increase and decrease heart rate

Abstract Forty-four health volunteers (15 males, 29 females) with no previous heart rate (HR) control training were asked to self-regulate HR in a set sequence of increasing without feedback (NFBI), decreasing without feedback (NFBD), increasing with feedback (FBI), and decreasing with feedback (FBD). Each training trial followed a pre-trial resting baseline. Subjects were grouped by gender and level of self-efficacy (SE) of HR control. High SE males (HSEM) had lower resting HR than high SE females (HSEF), low SE males (LSEM), and low SE females (LSEF). Different as well as similar group HR control patterns were found depending on the training conditions. While all four groups demonstrated HR increasing and decreasing control, no significant difference was found between the NFBD and the FBD trials. However, both HSEM and HSEF groups were significantly better at increasing HR during the FBI trial than either the LSEM or LSEF groups. Apparently, visual feedback was sufficient to move the LSEM group to the l...