Development and validation of a facial pictorial rating scale of perceived exertion

• Main Authors: Ding Hau Huang, 黃鼎豪
• Other Authors: W. K. Chiou
• Format: Others
• Published: 2015
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/49461447801861164666

博士 === 長庚大學 === 企業管理研究所博士班 === 103 === The main aims of this investigation were to determine whether facial expression could reflect the perception of effort, and then to develop and validate a pictorial exertion scale. The facial pictorial rating of perceived exertion (FPRPE) scale that focuses on the facial expression of effort was developed for evaluating physical tasks. The FPRPE scale has a category-rating format that contains both pictorial and verbal descriptors positioned along a comparatively narrow numerical response range, namely 0–10. A total of seven studies were conducted to develop the scale. The first study determined whether the facial expression of effort reflected the perception of effort. Studies two to four focused on the development and validation of the pictorial facial rating of perceived exertion (RPE) scale. Study five and six examined the correlations between subjective RPE and observational RPE by the FPRPE scale. Study seven was to determine a relationship between facial pictorial descriptor and exertion intensity. Studies one to four revealed that facial muscle activity reflects the perception of effort during incremental workload cycling. The FPRPE scale was developed based on the facial features of frowning and jaw clenching as pictorial representations of exertion. Both concurrent and construct validation supported the use of the FPRPE scale by male and female adults to estimate RPE during the incremental cycle ergometer test. Results of studies five to seven indicated that the observers would be able to apply facial expression to estimate the level of perceived exertion. The pictorial faces on the FPRPE scale suggested curvilinear increased as exertion intensity increased for observation of perceived exertion. The FPRPE scale is an alternative pictorial scale utilizing facial expression of exertion so participants can more easily estimate their internal level of exertion during exercise, and the scale will be useful for observation of exertion as well.