Neurofeedback - The significance of reinforcement and the search for an appropriate strategy for the success of self-regulation

Nine healthy children took parr in five sessions of feedback and instrument al conditioning of slow cortical potentials (SCPs). The feedback conditions (the relation between the feedback signal and amplitude of SCP) were inver ted after two sessions. Neither the children nor the therapists were aware of this change. The adjustment of the children to the new feedback setting and the self-regulation strategies employed were investigated. The results were as follows: (a) Healthy children achieved control over cortical negati vity within two sessions. (b) The change of feedback conditions worsened th e regulation abilities, which then improved again within the following thre e sessions. (c) After the first two sessions, the participants were able to describe strategies that were successful during different phases of self-r egulation. (d) Following the change in the feedback conditions, the childre n reevaluated the way they influenced their SCPs, However; they did not alt er the cognitive or behavioral strategies, The study demonstrated that posi tive and negative reinforcement and the knowledge of results are more impor tant for successful self-regulation than the search for effective strategie s. The relevance of these findings is discussed.