This study explored the reduction of anxiety with children using a combination of electromyograph and thermal biofeedback techniques. One hundred and fifty children (7th and 8th graders) were identified by teachers as anxious and randomly assigned to biofeedback intervention and no-intervention groups. Biofeedback intervention subjects received 6 sessions of thermal training and 6 sessions of electromyographic training over a 6 week period. A post-test anxiety scale demonstrated a significant reduction in both state and trait anxiety. This study suggested biofeedback as a viable intervention which might be coordinated and provided by psychologists to reduce anxiety in children. 0 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
For many children, life is a daily confrontation with tension and failure (Sonuga-Barke & Balding, 1993). Family and academic demands combine with changing developmental and social pressures to create an environment in which effective functioning may be difficult. Although anxiety has been shown to have a negative effect on the general health and performance of children, a large number of children face life each day unaware that their symptoms may have solutions (Lail & Schroeder, 1990).
Given these difficulties, numerous authors have called for psychologists to increase intervention services (D' Amato & Rothlisberg, 1992; Kratochwill & Moms, 1991; Sando-Val, 1988). Traditionally, psychologists are often called upon to assist children with the broad array of anxiety associated problems which are often concomitant with societal and school difficulties (D'Amato & Dean, 1989). Unfortunately, the array of interventions shown to be effective experimentally is often limited. Therefore, this research was conducted to determine the efficacy of a biofeedback intervention in the reduction of children's anxiety.
Since behavior is biologically related, it is logical to pair biological functions with behavior to illicit change (Hynd & Willis 1988; Pliszka, Hatch, Borcherding, & Rogness, 1993; Whitten, D' Amato, & Chittooran, 1992). One methodology, biofeedback, combines behavior with biological responses and has shown promise. Yet it has often been delegated to a medical setting (Hatch, Prihoda, & Moore, 1992;Orton & Noonberg, 1980). By limiting the use of biofeedback to a medical setting, the benefits are obviously restricted. A logical alternative would be to utilize the procedure in public school settings where children and anxiety are both abundantly available.
Biofeedback may be described as the process of providing information about an ongoing physical response in the body. This knowledge then, is used to change the bodily response and thus increase self control and decrease the anxiety symptoms (Orton & Noonberg, 1980). The procedure provides information to the trainee about bodily reactions (i.e., anxi-