Validity and Reliability of a Classroom Heart-Rate Collection Procedure, with Application for Assessing Arousal Related to Test Anticipation

Measures of cardiac reactivity can be very effective classroom tools for conducting educational activities in psychology courses. Sophisticated laboratory methods provide valid and reliable data, but are costly and have poor ecological validity. In this article, Study 1 established the validity and reliability of a simple method for obtaining self-measures of heart rate in the classroom. The author assessed validity by obtaining self-measures of pulse repeatedly from 74 students, and then correlating them to the students' heart rates measured by electrocardiography in the lab. He also assessed test-retest reliability and internal consistency of self-measures of heart rate. Study 2 utilised the procedure described in Study 1 to assess cardiac reactivity of a group of 107 students prior to taking a test. Mean heart rates were significantly elevated in the test situation. Gender differences were also significant. The findings reported in this article illustrate that self-measured pulse rate taken by students simultaneously in class is a reliable and valid way of assessing cardiac reactivity in educational settings.