Materials and Methods

With the use of the GSR and a questionnaire, the researchers measured stress

levels prior to and after exercise. The purpose of testing stress was to determine what

affects, if any, that exercise had on stress levels.

The researchers recruited N=15 participants from a classroom setting. First, the

participants were instructed to wash and dry their hands thoroughly. The GSR electrodes

were then attached to the participants’ index and ring finger of their right hand. After the

participants back was facing the computer screen, the individual was asked to relax until

further instruction. After recording the relaxed stress levels, the individual was verbally

asked 5 yes/no exercise and stress related questions. The questions asked were:

1. Do you exercise to reduce tension?

2. Do you feel overwhelmed with everyday activities?

3. Do you feel much more self confident than usual after exercise?

4. Do you have much more energy than usual after exercising?

5. If you do not follow your regular exercise habits, do you feel more stressed?

The participant’s answered each question by showing one finger for yes and two fingers

for no. After the testing had been completed, the participant went outside in 100º F

conditions to walk for 4 minutes and did jumping jacks for 1 minute. Then, the

participant was retested the same as stated above. The experiment took the researcher’s

a total of 10 minutes per one participant.

The test in the experiment measured the skin conductance level in order of

analyzing the psychological responses; the researchers measured the skin response to
questions asked to participant using iworx kit. Researchers were equipped with a

computer which displayed graphs of responses, a GSR-200 amplifier with two

electrodes that was connected to the ring finger and the index of the participant arm,

and a power supply. Before the experiment began, the set up of the equipment was

required. The Labscrib on the computer menu from the iworx submenu was open, and

the power supply was already connected to the computer, and later the DIN8 of the

GSR amplifier was connected to the power supply into channel 4 of the IWX/214, those

were equipment required to record the GSR.

After setting up the GSR, the researchers were ready to calibrate the unit which

was accomplished through position the baseline in the center of the skin conductance

channel level, and the electrode were attached the unit. The output level of the unit was

adjusted close to zero, and then the Labscrib was double checked to make sure that it

was set to record mode, then the researchers were ready to begin the experiment.

The participants were all student of the Zoology 4243 lab, they were instructed to

wash their hand before the electrode were connected to the index and ring finger, they

sat quietly relaxed, looking away from the computer screen, the they were asked a

series of five questions, answering with their fingers; they raised one finger for yes,

and two fingers for no to questions asked from the hand that wasn’t connected to the

electrodes while recording, and inputting on the graph every step of the questioning to

evaluate responses. Participants were then asked to exercise for a few minutes, to make

sure that exercise was performed according to the need of the study; one of the

researchers supervised the exercise for each participant. The same participants were

later asked the questions. And their skin conductance level where compared to see if
they were any variations of level in the frequency, and skin conductance in their

responses.

Each response was analyzed; with the peak response skin conductance level

being the period after the question was asked, the baseline skin conductance level being

the period before a question was asked, and the difference was identified as the change

in conductance level, and the peak response time being the time between the time of the

question and the peak response of the participant.