TY - JOUR
T1 - Sighs can become learned behaviors via operant learning
AU - Vlemincx, Elke
AU - Luminet, Olivier
PY - 2020/3/1
Y1 - 2020/3/1
N2 - Sighs have important physiological and psychological regulatory functions. These rewarding effects of a sigh potentially reinforce sighing in situations that require physiological and/or psychological regulation. The present study aimed to investigate whether sighs can become learned behaviors via operant learning. In two studies, we manipulated the effect of spontaneous sighs in response to dyspnea relief, by either punishing a sigh by the onset of dyspnea, or not punishing a sigh by continued dyspnea relief. Results show that sigh rates in response to cues predicting the punishment of sighs are 1.20–1.28 times lower than sigh rates in response to cues predicting no punishment of sighs. These findings suggest that sighs can become learned behaviors via operant learning, contributing to both maladaptive sighing, potentially leading to respiratory dysregulation and respiratory complaints, and to adaptive sighing. Furthermore, these findings suggest new clinical practices to increase and decrease sigh rates during breathing training.
AB - Sighs have important physiological and psychological regulatory functions. These rewarding effects of a sigh potentially reinforce sighing in situations that require physiological and/or psychological regulation. The present study aimed to investigate whether sighs can become learned behaviors via operant learning. In two studies, we manipulated the effect of spontaneous sighs in response to dyspnea relief, by either punishing a sigh by the onset of dyspnea, or not punishing a sigh by continued dyspnea relief. Results show that sigh rates in response to cues predicting the punishment of sighs are 1.20–1.28 times lower than sigh rates in response to cues predicting no punishment of sighs. These findings suggest that sighs can become learned behaviors via operant learning, contributing to both maladaptive sighing, potentially leading to respiratory dysregulation and respiratory complaints, and to adaptive sighing. Furthermore, these findings suggest new clinical practices to increase and decrease sigh rates during breathing training.
KW - Dyspnea
KW - Dyspnea relief
KW - Operant learning
KW - Punishment
KW - Sighing
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85078891235&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85078891235&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2020.107850
DO - 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2020.107850
M3 - Article
C2 - 31981582
AN - SCOPUS:85078891235
VL - 151
SP - 1
EP - 8
JO - Biological Psychology
JF - Biological Psychology
SN - 0301-0511
M1 - 107850
ER -