The effects of feedback on blood pressure discrimination.

Adults tried to feel their own blood pressure and say if it was high, low, or normal. After each guess they got a short verbal message: right or wrong. The researchers started feedback at different times for each adult so they could see if the feedback, not something else, caused any change.

Guesses got much better as soon as feedback began. When feedback stopped two weeks later, the adults still guessed well. The study showed that a simple right-or-wrong cue can teach people to notice an inside body signal they could not feel before.

Elder et al. (1973) did an earlier blood-pressure study, but they aimed to lower real pressure. Goldman et al. (1979) did not try to change pressure; they only taught people to notice it. The two studies fit like puzzle pieces: first you learn to feel the signal, then you can learn to control it.

Thomas et al. (2026) looked at 35 studies with short beeps or clicks as feedback. Their review says brief sound feedback works across fields. The 1979 study used spoken words instead of beeps, but the idea is the same: an immediate sound tied to the behavior sharpens accuracy.

Boudreau et al. (2015) argue that all feedback works through basic operant rules. The blood-pressure results line up with that view: the "right" message acted as a tiny reinforcer that made correct guesses more likely in the future.

If you want clients to notice inside body cues—heart rate, muscle tension, or even early signs of stress—give them a quick right-or-wrong cue right after each self-report. Start with clear external feedback, then fade it once the skill looks steady. Two weeks later, check if the skill sticks; the study says it probably will.