Emotional Self-Regulation in Primary Education: A Heart Rate-Variability Biofeedback Intervention Programme

Abstract

This study investigated the benefits of using a biofeedback intervention programme to train children in controlling their heart rate variability (HRV) through slow-paced breathing in real time. HRV biofeedback interventions focused on showing subjects to breathe such that their HRV numbers rise, improving their self-regulation. The HRV biofeedback intervention, focused on breathing, was conducted with primary education students aged between 7 and 11 years. The programme consisted of five biofeedback sessions, where students were taught to breathe six long and slow pairs of breaths per minute, to increase their HRV. After participation in the programme, students, regardless of gender, increased their HRV in a statistically significant fashion with a large effect, but this effect was not the same for all ages. HRV biofeedback interventions are rarely applied in schools and given the effectiveness of the intervention to improve HRV in children, the applied implications of our results in educational settings are discussed, especially taking into account the children's ages.

Keywords: HeartMath emWave software; biofeedback intervention; children; heart rate variability; polyvagal theory.

Figure 1

Evolution of the high HRV in all samples.

Figure 2

Evolution of the high HRV in cycle 1.