Experimenter Effects in Exercise Tolerance Testing: The Race and Gender of the Tester and the Tester/Subject Relationship

Abstract

Two studies examined the effects of the experimenter on heart rate (HR), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and time to voluntary exhaustion on a graded treadmill test in college students. The first study determined the effects of the gender and race of the tester on black and white subjects of both sexes. Four testers (black female—BFT, white female—WFT, black male—BMT, and white male—WMT) tested 5 subjects of each gender and race. Differences based on gender and race were determined by a 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 ANOVA. The second study dealt with the tester/subject relationship. One tester tested 20 subjects. Ten were his friends (5 males, 5 females) and 10 (5 males, 5 females) did not know him. Differences were determined by 2 × 2 ANOVA. In both studies, the female subjects had poorer performance than the males. HR during moderate and heavy exercise was not affected by the race and gender of the tester or the tester/subject relationship. For time to exhaustion, white female subjects (WFS) exercised longer when being tested by a female but black female subjects (BFS) had a longer total time with male testers. Significant interactions occurred for HR at rest and at various times during light work for both studies. There were also significant interactions for RPE at various stages of light, moderate and heavy exercise for both studies. For subjects unaccustomed to exercise testing, it appears that the effects of the race and gender of the tester and the tester/subject relationship predominate at rest and during light work. Fewer effects are observed during moderate and heavy work. Many of the results in these studies are consistent with societal roles and expectations for males and females, blacks and whites. A consistent testing environment can minimize the influence of extrinsic testing variables.     

Connexions: The Role of the Personal Adviser in Schools

The Personal Adviser is a new role within schools. It is an integral part of the new Connexions Service, which is being implemented throughout England in tranches, the first starting in April 2001. This article examines the origins of the role, the confusion that has surrounded its initial development, and some of the issues that it will have to confront. The paper draws on experience gained in some of the Connexions pilot schemes during 2000/1.     

Trialling an Indicator of the Impact of Two Library Induction Models

The impact of two models of induction into library services, a “one stop” orientation model and an “active learning” model with task-specific coaching, was assessed. The study was conducted with participants on a Continuing Professional Development course and a pre-Initial Teacher Education course. Questionnaire data showed differences between the groups in terms of information seeking behaviors and the sources they used A simple indicator of efficacy of information retrieval and evaluation was derived from participants’ assessed work reference lists, which was indicative of different outcomes from the two induction processes.     

Border Patrolling and “Passing” in Eminem's 8 Mile

This essay argues that the semi-biographical film 8 Mile represents Eminem as being both racially distinctive and as possessing universal commercial appeal. 8 Mile accomplishes this paradoxical construction by portraying “Rabbit” as “white trash,” a discursively “dark” (white) object, and as an American mythological white subject. The film makes whiteness hyper-visible by subjecting it to raced and gendered struggles. Through real and symbolic violence, Rabbit battles “dark” villains and grapples with “dark” women, initiating a rite of passage. The film grounds Eminem's hip hop authenticity in Rabbit's discursive darkness, but attaches to this image the marketable allure of mythic whiteness. I conclude by contemplating how the film's conservatism reifies “blackness.”     

Using a meta-analysis activity to make critical reflection explicit in teacher education

This paper describes how the development of critical reflection in student teachers has been made an explicit part of a teacher education programme. Using a rubric presented by Ward and McCotter, (2004) and supported by an online discussion forum, the rubric was used in a meta-analysis activity where students identified the quality of critical reflection in their lesson evaluations. The evidence suggests that the activity can result in a qualitative improvement in the nature of critical reflection. The intervention also appeared to generate a growing acknowledgement by students that writing lesson evaluations, is a valuable process which can enhance their practice.