William D. Russell

COMPARISON OF HEALTH PROMOTION AND DETERRENT PROMPTS IN INCREASING USE OF STAIRS OVER ESCALATORS

This study compared the effectiveness of two point-of-decision prompts within the same environmental setting. The effects of a health promotion sign were compared with activity change resulting from a deterrent sign. Individuals were observed using the upward stairs or upward escalator at a midwest regional airport during a 5-week period in which intervention signs were compared with no-sign conditions on activity choice. During Weeks 1, 3, and 5 behaviors were assessed without any prompts. During Week 2, a health promotion sign was posted at the behavioral choice point which read “Keep your heart healthy, use the stairs.” During Week 4, a deterrent sign which read “Please limit escalator use to staff and those unable to use the stairs” was posted at the same behavioral choice point. Younger (<40) women (14.8%) and men (10.8%) used the stairs more frequently, followed by older women (9.3%) and older men (6.9%). A hierarchical log linear analysis showed that stair use increased during both interventions, which was significantly moderated by age. Point-of-decision prompts appear to be effective environmental interventions for promoting increases in physical activity.

On the Current Status of Rated Perceived Exertion

This paper chronicles the psychophysical principles which led to the development of the Ratings of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale by Borg in 1970 and a concise, comprehensive summary of research on the scale. The current status of research is examined by discussion of several important areas within the field including psychophysical scaling, scale development, psychometrics, and applications. Physiological and psychological approaches are examined and the need for an interdisciplinary approach is addressed.

Influence of Experience Level on Physical Activity During Interactive Video Gaming

BACKGROUNDnThe ability of interactive video games (IVGs) to individualize physical demands influences their viability as a physical activity option. This study examined the influence of experience level on activity levels and affect resulting from playing a martial arts IVG.nnnMETHODSnTwenty participants completed 3 15-minute trials: (1) walking, (2) IVG with no previous experience (INEXP), and (3) IVG activity after 2 hours of practice (EXP) during which heart rate (HR), step counts, metabolic equivalents of task (METs), ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), session RPE, and affect (positive/negative affect, enjoyment) were measured.nnnRESULTSnMean HR was lower during walking (107 ± 18 bpm) than during INEXP (131 ± 25 bpm) and EXP (120 ± 20 bpm). Peak HR and session RPE were lower for walking than for INEXP and EXP. No difference in mean HR was observed between IVG conditions, but peak HR and session RPE were lower for EXP than for INEXP. Walking resulted in greater postactivity reduction of negative affect; however, the IVG conditions were perceived as more enjoyable.nnnCONCLUSIONSnAlthough the current IVG provided a greater exercise stimulus than walking, results suggest that user movements become more efficient with greater IVG experience and that exercise outcomes may decrease as a result.

ORDER OF SCALE ADMINISTRATION AND CONCURRENT VALIDITY OF THE ANXIETY RATING SCALE

The Anxiety Rating Scale-2 and the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 were administered to 100 male university intramural volleyball players 15 min. before a match began. For 50 participants, the above order of presentation was used; for the other 50 the order was reversed. Correlations for cognitive anxiety, somatic anxiety, and self-confidence between the two inventories were .47, .63, and .67, respectively, for scores from Order 1 and .56, .75, and .84 for Order 2.