Abstract
Difficulties in directly assessing the forcefulness of manual work have led to a search for alternative methods of estimating force exertion. The relationships between normalized grip force psychophysical ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and the electromyogram (EMG) were examined in three studies. In each study, participants performed short duration, repetitive tasks requiring application of grip force to a cylindrical handle. Applied grip force and EMG activity in select forearm muscles (flexor pollicis longus, flexor digitorum superficialis, and extensor digitorum) were recorded. Participants also rated perceived exertion using Borg's CR-10 scale. In all three studies, EMG and RPE were strongly and positively correlated with normalized grip force; however, neither measure (EMG or RPE) was a consistently better predictor of grip force than the other. RPE appeared to be a somewhat better predictor of force in the more complex work task. Combining RPE and EMG measures to predict manual force levels resulted in models explaining 51.7% to 74.2% of the variation in grip force. However, because psychophysical methods are generally easier to implement, RPE may have broader application in future ergonomics studies.
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