Ratings of perceived exertion by a group of women: does Type A behavior act a modifier?

Abstract

It has previously been suggested that individuals displaying the Type A behavior pattern underestimate their perceived exertion during physical exercise. Most research pertaining to these results has been performed with male participants. In the present study, 70 women (mean age 26.8 yr.) varying in scores on the Bortner scale participated in a standardized cycle ergometer test performed individually in a laboratory setting. Analysis showed small but nonsignificant differences in ratings by participants. This held over the whole range from light to heavy exercise intensity. Less than 1% of the explained variance in ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) could be traced back to the scores for behavior of the individuals. Thus, contrary to some prior reports of RPE suppression associated with the Type A behavior pattern, the results present instead a null finding. Possible causes for the equivocal results are the environment (laboratory vs field), the question whether a laboratory test performed individually is perceived as challenging enough to trigger the competitive urge, type of exercise, the individual's sex, the measure used for assessing Type A behavior pattern, and whether gender-based schematic/aschematic processing is involved.