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.