Question

Biofeedback therapy is a technique that allows people to actively monitor certain physiological processes in order to improve health and well-being. It has shown benefits for insomnia and long-term pain management, among other medical complaints. For instance, by monitoring one’s heart rate and breathing during stressful activities, a biofeedback patient can learn to control their body’s natural stress response and remain more calm and comfortable. Proponents also claim that, by helping patients feel more in control of their symptoms, biofeedback therapy increases treatment satisfaction.
Which finding, if true, would most strongly support the underlined claim?
Choose 1 answer:
A
Biofeedback patients rate the quality of their healthcare more highly than patients of equally effective therapies do.
B
Clinics that employ biofeedback therapy are among the clinics with the most registered patients.
C
Patients tend to find biofeedback therapy more effective for insomnia than for long-term pain management.
D
Doctors tend to prescribe biofeedback therapy alongside other treatments, such as prescription medication.

Answer 1

A

If patients who receive biofeedback report higher satisfaction than patients receiving therapies that are equally effective, the extra satisfaction is unlikely due to better clinical outcomes and is best explained by something like increased feelings of control—exactly the mechanism claimed. The other options don’t isolate increased perceived control as the reason for higher satisfaction.