Pre-intervention assessment
Following initiation of ECG and SCR data collection, participants
answered demographic questions and completed
the nine-item Psychological Stress Measure (PSM-9)17 to
assess baseline subjective stress levels. Levels of expectancy
about the intervention were assessed, as has been done
previously.12 Baseline group differences in attitudes towards
conventional and complementary medicine were assessed
with the Complementary, Alternative, and Conventional
Medicine Attitudes Scale (CACMAS)18 and participants completed
an assessment of past, present, and likely future
use of 17 CAM modalities.18 To assess general health and
life attitudes, participants completed the Multidimensional
Health Locus of Control (MHLC) scale,19 the Satisfaction with
Life Scale (SWLS),20 and a modified version of the revised
Life Orientation Test (LOT-R).21 Participants also completed
the State Anxiety Inventory (State portion of the State-Trait
Anxiety Inventory)22 to assess anxiety levels prior to the
first stressor. The PSM-9 was administered multiple times
throughout the experiment to capture change in subjective
stress levels (see Fig. 1).