Psychology Research and Practice

Psychology Research and Practice (Online ISSN: 2972-3094 Print ISSN: 2972-3086 ) is an international academic journal focusing on the latest research and developments in the field of psychology and the practical applications of these. The journal is a peer-reviewed online journal using an open access model. It publishes papers continuously. It is characterized by innovations in psychology and reports on the latest research findings, original articles, critical and systematic reviews in psychology, including such fields as cognitive and behavioral sciences, mental health, psychiatry, neuroscience, and behavioral biology.

  • Acute Effects of Rope Therapy (Vestibular Stimulation) on Heart Rate Variability Coherence in Taiwanese Social Workers: A Within-Subjects Pilot Study

    Dr. Benny W. L. Lam, Dr. Adrian Low Eng Ken, Mr. Tony Chau, Mr. Marco Wong

    Background: Social workers represent a high-risk occupational group for chronic stress, burnout, and reduced autonomic regulation. Bottom-up, body-based interventions targeting vestibular-autonomic pathways may offer accessible alternatives to cognitive approaches; however, empirical evidence in helping professions remains limited.

    Objective: To examine acute changes in heart rate variability (HRV) coherence following a single session of Rope Therapy (RT) — a structured vestibular stimulation intervention — in Taiwanese social workers reporting occupational stress and anxiety.

    Methods: Thirteen Taiwanese social workers (12 female, 1 male; ages 25–42 years, M = 31.6, SD = 6.5) completed a single intervention session comprising a pre-intervention HRV measurement, a structured RT protocol involving graded rotational vestibular stimulation, and a post-intervention HRV measurement. HRV was recorded using the emWave Pro system (HeartMath Institute), with coherence score — an index of cardiorespiratory synchronization reflecting autonomic regulation — low/medium/high coherence ratios, and average heart rate as primary outcomes. Within-subjects analyses employed Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, with effect sizes reported as r.

    Results & Conclusion: See full text.

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Editor-in-Chief

Prof. Garry Hornby

Institute of Education, University of Plymouth, the UK

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