THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ELECTROMYOGRAM LEVEL AND

THE CHILDREN’S PERSONALITY QUESTIONNAIRE AS MEASURES

O F TENSION IN UPPER ELEMENTARY GIFTED STUDENTS
FRANCES A. KARNES, JUDY J. OEHLER A N D GARY E . JONES
University of Southern Mississ’ippi

This study investigated the relationship between biofeedback and tension as

measured by an EMG and a self-report inventory, the Children’s Personality
Questionnaire (CPQ), in a sample of 37 intellectually gifted fourth- through
seventh-graders. Results showed that indirect factors that measure tension
on the CPQ were correlated significantly with biofeedback measures. Those
subjects who became the most relaxed during the biofeedback training
appeared the least tense on the CPQ. Colttrary to these findings, the
Relaxed-Tense factor of the CPQ was correlated significantly and negatively
with biofeedback measures, which indicates that subjects may not have been
aware of their own tense state and thus would benefit from biofeedback
training.
Stress, which results in tension, can be experienced by anyone at any time during
his/her life. One group of students, cited as having a number of specific sources of stress,
are the intellectually gifted. While one of the earliest studies that dealt with these
students found them to be generally well adjusted (Terman, 1925), more current in-
vestigations have found them to be referred for emotional problems, discipline problems,
and underachievement (Johnson, 1981; Leaverton & Herzog, 1979; Lilly, 1979).
A number of reasons for stress in the gifted student have been offered, including
poor peer relationships, lack of a unified curriculum, and the lack of understanding by
teachers in the regular classroom (Clemens & Mullis, 1981). In addition, suggestions to
ameliorate or reduce stress and tension in the intellectually gifted have been given, in-
cluding bibliotherapy, mediation, and biofeedback (Clark, 1983; Frasier & McCannon,
1981; Murdock, 1979).
There are currently several ways to measure tension. One of the most widely
employed measures of tension is the electromyogram (EMG). The advantages of in-
tegrated EMG somatic measures are that it directly measures physiological tension, and
when used in a biofeedback paradigm, it provides objective feedback to the subject con-
cerning his or her somatic tension state. However, there are other instruments that pur-
port to measure tension in a less direct manner, i.e., self-report. One instrument ap-
propriate for children is the Children’s Personality Questionnaire (CPQ; Cattell, 1973),
which is a self-report personality measure. Of the 14 personality factors included, Factor
4 4 measures a Relaxed-Tense dimension. This Factor is purported to measure trait ten-
sion. Other factors on the CPQ (e.g., Self-Assured-Apprehensive), while not direct
measures of tension, do measure personality characteristics that are related to or affect
tension traits.
Thus, both the EMG levels and the CPQ provide useful, though different, measures
of tension. Through a computerized search of the literature, no other studies were found
that investigated the measurement of tension with intellectually gifted youth. The current
study was conducted to determine whether there is a relationship between physiological
measures of tension and tension as measured by the CPQ in a group of intellectually
gifted children. It was also of interest to analyze this relationship in terms of whether
EMG frontalis, as a direct measure of a tension state, is a more valid and useful measure
of tension than is a self-report inventory that purports to measure trait tension. That is,
do EMG and EMG biofeedback provide subjects with objective information concerning
169
170 Journal of Clinical Psychology, March 1985, Vol. 41, No. 2

tension that they did not have previously? In addition, the relationship of intelligence as
measured by the WISC-R to measures of tension was examined.
METHOD
Subjects
Eighteen males and 19 females in grades four through seven identified as intellec-
tually gifted were subjects for the study. Identification was based on state guidelines that
required an intelligence quotient of 120 or above on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for
Children-Revised (WISC-R) with any one of the three scores 120 or above, or on the
Stanford-Binet. Only students with WISC-R scores participated in the study. The Ver-
bal, Performance, and Full Scale ranges and means for the WISC-R were 119-155, M =
131.24; 118-149, M = 131.57; and 121-155, M = 132.97, respectively.
Procedure
Relaxation training was conducted in a quiet room free of distraction. A Cyborg J-
33 EMG preamplifier was connected with a Cyborg BL-900 dual channel in-
tegrator/processor to record frontalis EMG tension levels. EMG tension was recorded
from bilateral placement of Beckman Ag/Ag C1 electrodes placed with reference
directly above the nasion and active electrodes 2 cm on either side. Electrodes were at-
tached using an elastic band that lightly encircled the head. High pass filters were set at
100Hz, and EMG was integrated in 1-minute units. Auditory feedback was provided,
with both the pitch and frequency of the tone varying contingent on instantaneous muscle
tension. All subjects were given the same instruction to sit quietly during baseline and to
relax as much as possible during training, using the feedback cues to help them. Baseline
data were collected for 5 minutes, after which EMG training occurred for 15 minutes.
The CPQ (Cattell, 1973) was administered in small group sessions. The answer
sheets were machine scored by the publisher. All testing was undertaken by two of the in-
vestigators and was conducted over approximately a 2-week period of time.
Data Analysis
The first 2 minutes of baseline training were not used because subjects were getting
accustomed to the equipment. The last 3 minutes of baseline data were averaged and con-
stituted the baseline (initial tension). The training period was averaged into five blocks of
3 minutes each and constituted the training period (trials). A score that indicates max-
imum benefit from training (difference score) was calculated by subtracting the last 3-
minute training period (Trial 5) from the baseline score.
Pearson product-moment correlations were performed to analyze the relationship of
initial tension, training trials, and the difference score to Verbal, Performance, and Full
Scale IQs, and the CPQ.
RESULTS
On the CPQ, Factor A, which measures a Reserved-Warmhearted dimension, was
correlated significantly and negatively with Trial 3 and Trial 4 ( r = -.30, p = <.04 and r
= - .30, p = < .04) and approached being significantly correlated with Trial 2 and Trial 5
(r = -.24, p = <.08 and r = -.27, p = <.06). Factor C, which measures an Affected by
Feelings, Easily Upset-Emotionally Stable, Calm dimension, was correlated significantly
and negatively with all five Trial scores ( r = -.40, p = <.009,r = -.42, p = <.006, r =
-.42, p = <.006, r = -.44, p = <.004, r = -.46, p = <.003).
Factor J, which measures a Vigorous-Circumspect Individualism, Internally
Restrained dimension, was correlated significantly with initial tension and all trial scores
( r = .33,p = <.08,r = S 7 , p = <.001, r = S 5 , p = <.001, r = S 0 , p = <.001, r = .47,
p = <.002, r = .46,p = <.003). Factor N, which measures a Forthright, Artless-Astute,
 Stress 171

Shrewd dimension, was correlated significantly with baseline (r = -32, p = <.03) and
with the difference score. The difference score was not correlated significantly with any
other Factor.
Factor 0, which measures a Self-assured, Placid-Apprehensive, Insecure dimen-
sion, was correlated significantly with all five trial scores (r = .41, p = <.007, r = .42, p
= <.006, r = . 4 6 , p = <.003, r = S 0 , p = <.001, r = S 0 , p = <.001). Factor 4 4 , which
measures a Relaxed-Tense dimension, was correlated significantly and negatively with
Trials 2 and 3, (r = -.36, p = <.02, r = -.31, p = <.03) and approached significance
with Trials 1, 4, and 5 (r = -.28, p = <.051, r = -.25, p = <.075, r = -.24, p =
<.084).
Altogether, 98 correlations between the CPQ and EMG measures were performed;
of these, 22 were significant. The probability of obtaining 22 out of 98 significant cor-
relations is <.0001). Also, in all cases in which a CPQ Factor was correlated with EMG
measures, the correlation was significant for more than one trial. Thus, the obtained
results are not considered to be due to chance.
These results indicate that Factors A, C, J, N, and 0, more indirect measures of
anxiety and emotionality, are correlated with frontalis EMG, in the expected directions,
whereas the dimension that purports to measure tension correlated negatively with
biofeedback measures, contrary to expectations.
Results showed that within the restricted range of IQ of the subjects there were no
significant correlations among initial tension level, difference score, or trials and IQ
measures.

DISCUSSION
The present investigation found that factors on the CPQ that indirectly measure
consistent tension (trait) were correlated significantly with frontalis EMG measures of
current tension (state). That is, subjects whom the CPQ indicated to be warmhearted
(easygoing), emotionally stable (calm), forthright (natural) and/or self-assured (placid)
also became the most relaxed during the biofeedback training. Interestingly, those sub-
jects whom the CPQ shows as astute (shrewd) also had high initial EMG tension levels,
but not higher tension during biofeedback training trials. In fact, the difference score was
correlated significantly with the shrewd dimension. This indicates that these subjects
were initially cautious during biofeedback training, as the CPQ would predict, and then
benefitted from training. Thus, for the most part, the CPQ factors and the biofeedback
data correlated as expected. The assertion that the CPQ Factors that correlated with the
EMG measures indirectly measure tension states comes from the behavioral descriptions
of these factors in the CPQ manual. The description of Factor D, phiegmatic-excitable,
suggests that it should be included in the list, but results showed that Factor D was not
correlated significantly with EMG measures. However, the correlation between Factor D
and Trials 3, 4 and 5 approached significance (p <.07). Thus, the interpretation
presented is supported.
Another aspect of the present investigation was whether frontalis biofeedback train-
ing provides subjects with information concerning their tension that they did not have
previously. The CPQ factor of Relaxed-Tense was correlated negatively with the
physiological measures. That is, as subjects scored more tense on the CPQ factor, they
showed lower tension scores on the EMG measures. This finding was contrary to expec-
tations and is inconsistent with the other findings above.
There are several considerations in interpreting these results. One is that subjects
were not aware of their own tense state and the EMG provided them with information
that allowed them to relax. Thus, those with high tension, as measured by the CPQ,
learned to relax using biofeedback and achieved low tension scores on the EMG
172 Journal of Clinical Psychology. March 1985, Vol. 41, No. 2

measures. This interpretation lends support to the contention that biofeedback training is
useful for gifted children.
Another consideration concerns the state vs. trait aspects of EMG and the CPQ.
That is, frontalis EMG measures current tension that may not be consistent over time,
while the CPQ measures tension as a trait that is more consistent over time. Therefore,
the two instruments may be measuring a different “type” of tension, which would make a
direct positive correlation less likely.
Overall, the first explanation seems most plausible. That is, the biofeedback training
provided gifted children with information concerning their tense state that they
previously did not have and, therefore, is a useful procedure. The present study did not
find any significant correlations between frontalis EMG measures of tension and IQ,
which indicates that all levels of gifted children benefit equally from biofeedback train-
ing.
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