Lucie Schnitzer

1. Frequency and length of training sessions - A large number of biofeedback studies in the clinical area that have used a minimal number of training sessions and/or training sessions of insufficient duration have produced unsuccessful results. conducting biofeedback training for an insufficient duration or over an insufficient number of training sessions could stem from the misconception that biofeedback is a treatment, like a drug, rather than a tool. These instruments do not have in- herent powers to create, control, or even change behavior; they simply reflect it. .Like all types of learning, in order to be effec- tive, biofeedback training requires systematic practice of sufficient length and dura- tion combined with some form of feedback information.

2. Training criteria:

Steiner and Dince further suggestthatamoreappropriatemodelwouldbetotrainthesubjectstocriterion,using as many trials as are required, and then continue training for a fixed number of trials until overlearning has been achieved. It is clear that further research needs to be conducted to determine both the length of training programs and appropriate training criteria

3. Homework Sessions - Shellenberger and Green (1986) declare that failing to provide the learner with homework exercises with or without a biofeedback instrument has hindered the development of biofeed- back training.. In many cases, the amount of biofeedback training done within the testing environment is insufficient for the learning of self-regulation skills and for the transfer of training to occur.

4. Motivation: The level of the individual’s motivation to gain control over hidher psychophysio- logical processes needs to be considered when selecting subjects for research and when developing a research design. If the individual lacks the motivation to engage in change, biofeedback training will be ineffective since the efficacy of such a technique ultimately lies within the indi- vidual. . For this reason, the extent to which the individual is motivated to alter hisher psychophysiological responses is a potential confound- ing variable that should not be neglected.

5. Cognitive Support: In situationswhere such cognitivesupportisnotprovidedandtheindividualstillattemptstoutilizebiofeedback information in an attempt to gain self-regulatorycontrol, the only way the individual can learn to do this is through trial and error-an often ineffective method, particularly whentherearetimeconstraints.Inhumanperformancetrainingsuchassports,athletes are not expected to learn a skill solely by trial and error.

6. Baseline Readings: In order to evaluate performance as a result of training, the pertaining baseline mea- surements are essential (Ancoli & Kamiya, 1978; Yates, 1980). However, many of the earlier studies upon which the efficacy of biofeedback has been judged either did not include baselines as part of the basic methodology, or did not report the baseline readings, or used an inadequate time sample for such assessment (Ancoli & Kamiya,

   1978;Kewman & Roberts, 1983).In suchinstancesit is difficultto determinewhether ornotthechangeinpsychophysiologicalself-regulationreportedattheconclusionof the study was (a) a result of genuine learning through biofeedback training, (b) a nor- mal fluctuation of psychophysiological state, or (c) an adaptation to the experimental or clinical situation