Relaxation-congruent facilitation-effects of autogenic training and progressive muscle relaxation

The effects of two different relaxation techniques (Autogenic Training and Progressive Muscle Relaxation) on reaction latencies after relaxation-congr uent and relaxation-incongruent words in a lexical decision task were exami ned in a group of 76 healthy subjects. Under both conditions clear effects of facilitation after relaxation-congruent words and inhibition after relax ation-incongruent words were found. Thus it could be shown, that relaxation techniques do influence the access to semantic information. The results of the state-dependent inhibition after relaxation-incongruent words suggest that the effects found in this experiment were not moderated by semantic pr ocesses but by the state of relaxation itself. This effect of the state of relaxation could perhaps be interpreted in terms of "emotional toning".