Observer ratings of perceived exertion in relation to self ratings and heart rate

✍ Scribed by Gunilla Ljunggren

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1986
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 897 KB
• Volume: 17
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0003-6870
• DOI: 10.1016/0003-6870(86)90249-8

✦ Synopsis

The results from a comparison made between observers' estimations of a bicycling subject's exertion and the self-raters' perceived exertion show that one can draw conclusions of an individual's exertion at physical work by using observer ratings. Six bicycling subjects (selfraters) cycled on a bicycle ergometer at six different power levels presented in random order. The estimations were made simultaneously by the observers and the self-rater during the last half minute at each power level. At the same time the self-rater's heart rate was registered. In accordance with earlier findings on physical work, the relation between heart rate and power level was linear.

The estimations were made on a category-ratio scale as well as with magnitude estimation. The observers found the category-ratio scale easier to use and it seems as if the categoryratio scale is as reliable as magnitude estimation for these kinds of ratings.