Inaugural Lecture

Measuring Perceived Exertion in Children: Over Two Decades of Progress?

1. Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences
Inaugural LectureInaugural Lecture
Prof. Kevin L. LambProf. Kevin L. Lamb
B.A., B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D., F.B.A.S.E.S., J.A.M.B.A., B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D., F.B.A.S.E.S., J.A.M.
3030
thth
June 2016 June 2016

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AND APPLYINGAND APPLYING
MEASURING PERCEIVED EXERTION IN CHILDRENMEASURING PERCEIVED EXERTION IN CHILDREN
⁁
Over Two Decades of Progress?Over Two Decades of Progress?

3. Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences

““Oxford Textbook of Children’s Sport and Oxford Textbook of Children’s Sport and
Exercise Medicine”Exercise Medicine”
Armstrong, N., & van Mechelen, W.
(Eds.)
Oxford University Press (in press, 2016)

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Perceived Exertion?Perceived Exertion?
“The act of detecting and interpreting
the sensations arising from the body
during physical exertion.”
(Noble & Robertson,
1996, p. 4)

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Perceived Exertion?Perceived Exertion?
Alternatively….
“the conscious sensation of how hard, heavy,
and strenuous a physical task is”
(Marcora, 2010).
Product of both physiological and
psychological inputs…..

7. Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences

Physiological (sensations) Psychological (factors)
Heart rate
Ventilation
Temperature
Muscular discomfort
A rating (RPE) equates to
a complex synthesis of these
factors.
Personality
Motivation
Mood
Expectations
Memory
A so-called ‘gestalt’
of various sensations
felt during exercise.

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OriginsOrigins
Emeritus Professor Gunnar Borg Gunnar Borg
(University of Stockholm)
Psycho-physical scaling
(measuring sensations)
“Humans have a very good ability to
judge (perceive) magnitudes. We can ‘measure’
intensities of all kinds of attributes: sensations,
experiences and emotions.”
(Borg & Borg, 2001)

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OriginsOrigins
Quantitative semantics Quantitative semantics
Use of adjectives and adverbs to describe
perceptual intensity levels.
Relationship between numbers and words;
how they can be best arranged on a measurement
scale.

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OriginsOrigins
ScovilleScoville chilli
heat rating
scale:
‘Intensity’
Description
(semantic)

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Exercise intensity – how hard?Exercise intensity – how hard?

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Experience of Exercise
A common frustration of P.E. teachers (?) ……..A common frustration of P.E. teachers (?) ……..
““We’re doing cross-country in Year 9, and there’s this girl We’re doing cross-country in Year 9, and there’s this girl
practically crying, and she goes, practically crying, and she goes, ‘I can’t breath, I can’t ‘I can’t breath, I can’t
breathbreath, , and I’m like, ‘Have you got asthma, or a chest and I’m like, ‘Have you got asthma, or a chest
infection?’ infection?’ ‘No’. ‘No’. ‘Are you ill?’. ‘Are you ill?’. ‘No’. ‘No’. ‘You are running, that’s ‘You are running, that’s
all it is, you are out of breath because you are running hard’.all it is, you are out of breath because you are running hard’.
‘‘You know, and she doesn’t realise it, she’s 13 years old, a You know, and she doesn’t realise it, she’s 13 years old, a
little bit plump, little bit plump, she’s never been out of breath beforeshe’s never been out of breath before. To . To
me, that’s just incredible.me, that’s just incredible.
(Secondary school P.E. teacher)(Secondary school P.E. teacher)

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Background:Background:
Research TrainingResearch Training

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Research Training?Research Training?
Lamb, K.L., & Burwitz, L. (1988). Visual
restriction in ball-catching: re-examination of
early findings. Journal of Human Movement Journal of Human Movement
StudiesStudies, , 1414, 93-99., 93-99.

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Research Training?Research Training?
Courtesy of Courtesy of
Professor Les Burwitz,Professor Les Burwitz,
(circa Oct. 1985)(circa Oct. 1985)

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Why Perceived Exertion?Why Perceived Exertion?
a.k.aa.k.a Effort PerceptionEffort Perception

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Why Perceived Exertion? Why Perceived Exertion?
ContextContext
July 1992…..
Lectureship at Univ. of Liverpool
(Dept. of Movement Science & P.E.)
Department of P.E. & Sports Science,
Chester College of Higher Education
Start of a transitionary period…..

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Perceived Exertion: ContextPerceived Exertion: Context
DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORTS SCIENCE

The Case for a Departmental Research Policy


Introduction

The emerging desire of Chester College to raise its research profile in order to enhance its
pursuit for University status has generated an institution Research Policy (received by the
Academic Board, 16th December, 1992). The timing of this document was apt since only a few
days earlier the results of the Higher Education Funding Council's Research Selectivity exercise
highlighted the relative inactivity of Chester College in terms of measurable research output. The
significance of such an exercise is reflected by the fact that £600 million in research grants is
available to institutes of Higher Education
1
in 1993/94 (Griffiths, 1992); how much each institute
(and each department) receives is determined by the ratings they achieved in the research
assessment.

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Perceived Exertion: ContextPerceived Exertion: Context

Job interview & research-orientated
presentation
 Research-informed teaching
 Research methods & statistics!
 Small research development grants from
Chester College (£3,000)
 Staff to work towards PhDs

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Perceived Exertion: ContextPerceived Exertion: Context

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First Child-Specific Scale
1992
Children’s Effort Rating Table (CERT)

11 Very, Very Easy
2 Very Easy
3 Easy
4 Just Feeling a Strain
5 Starting to Get Hard
6 Getting Quite Hard
7 Hard
8 Very Hard
9 Very, Very Hard
10 So Hard I’m Going to Stop
(Williams, Eston, & Furlong, 1994)

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Quantitative semantics in action?Quantitative semantics in action?
2002
Pictorial CERT (P-CERT)

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Adult RPE ScaleAdult RPE Scale
(Borg, 1985)(Borg, 1985)

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Research Interest in RPEResearch Interest in RPE
University of Chester Library search (23/5/16):
Search term = “Perceived exertion”
Scholarly & peer review
Journal article
Language = English
Dates = 1
st
Jan 1970 to 1
st
June 2016
20, 562 ‘hits’

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“Children AND Perceived exertion”
= 4,997 hits

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Progress?Progress?

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Using RPE ScalesUsing RPE Scales
‘Estimation’
(or ‘response’) mode:
Response (rating) to a given exercise;
how hard it feels at any moment in time.
This is said to involve a ‘passive’ process.

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Using RPE ScalesUsing RPE Scales
‘‘Production’ Production’
(or ‘regulation’) mode:(or ‘regulation’) mode:
Exercise regulation (adjustment) to match a specified
RPE level on the basis of individual perception.
e.g. “Now exercise so that it feels like RPE 13”
This is said to involve an ‘active’ process….
Prior experiences of exercise (& memory), emotions

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Are RPEs Valid?Are RPEs Valid?
RPE RPE strongly correlated strongly correlated to exercise intensityto exercise intensity

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Applications of RPE
As a threshold for terminating exercise (e.g. RPE
15);
“it is a powerful tool to prescribe and monitor
exercise during a rehabilitation programme.”
(Noble & Robertson, 1996).
As an indicator of a maximal effort in healthy
people (e.g. RPE 19 or 20 in a VO
2
max test)
For prescribing exercise intensity (working at
specific RPE level) for health & fitness gains

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Applications
Intensity ‘equivalents’
Norton et al. (2010)
55-89% HRmax
40-84% VO
2
max
RPE 11-16

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Issues
 Instructions for use Instructions for use
 Understanding of ‘anchors’Understanding of ‘anchors’
 Understanding of numbersUnderstanding of numbers
 Experience of Experience of exercise rangeexercise range
Sedentary adultsSedentary adults
Use by children?Use by children?

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The Case for Child-Specific Scales
 Limited experience of a range of intensities
amongst young children;
 Validity of Borg’s RPE scale (and reliability)
lower in children < 10 years old;
 Borg scale (6-20) based on middle-aged
adults’ exercise responses;

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The Case for Child-Specific Scales
 Children unfamiliar with range of numbers (6-
20) and words (‘exertion’) on Borg scale;
 Pictures/symbols better than words/numbers;
 Desire for a tool to assist in provision of
‘optimal’ exercise intensity for health-related
benefits.

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The Case for Child-Specific Scales
‘‘Optimal’ intensity?Optimal’ intensity?
““Children and adolescents (aged 5-16) should Children and adolescents (aged 5-16) should
accumulate accumulate at least 60 min at least 60 min of of moderate-moderate-
vigorous activity per dayvigorous activity per day, including vigorous , including vigorous
aerobic activities that improve bone density aerobic activities that improve bone density
and muscle strength.”and muscle strength.”
U.K.’s Chief Medical Officer (2011)
Department of Health.

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The Case for Child-Specific Scales
‘‘Optimal’ intensity in RPE terms?Optimal’ intensity in RPE terms?
Moderate intensityModerate intensity RPE 11 - 13RPE 11 - 13
An An aerobicaerobic activity able to be conducted whilst maintaining a activity able to be conducted whilst maintaining a
conversation, that can conversation, that can last for 30 - 60 minuteslast for 30 - 60 minutes
Vigorous intensityVigorous intensity RPE 14 - 16RPE 14 - 16
An An aerobicaerobic activity in which a conversation generally cannot be activity in which a conversation generally cannot be
maintained uninterrupted, that maintained uninterrupted, that might last might last up to 30 minutes.up to 30 minutes.

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The Case for Child-Specific Scales
A challenge for Physical Education:A challenge for Physical Education:
Delivery of exercise of a suitable intensity…..Delivery of exercise of a suitable intensity…..
““Is it possible for the child to learn how it ‘feels’ Is it possible for the child to learn how it ‘feels’
to exercise at an optimal intensity.”to exercise at an optimal intensity.”

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The Case for Child-Specific Scales
““If one of our roles (as teachers) is to modify If one of our roles (as teachers) is to modify
behaviour patterns of children by behaviour patterns of children by
encouraging regular physical activity, then encouraging regular physical activity, then
our role is also to provide an understanding our role is also to provide an understanding
of the body’s response to exercise……to of the body’s response to exercise……to
increase their conceptual understanding of increase their conceptual understanding of
exercise.”exercise.”
Eston, R.G. (Eston, R.G. (19841984). ). Physical Education Review, 7, Physical Education Review, 7, 19-2519-25

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Development of Child-Specific Scales
In the beginning…..
Dr. John G. Williams
3 undergraduate (BSc) studies - primaryprimary school
children:
Langford & McFarlane (1991)
Hockley (1992)
Bain (1993)
Samples: boys and girls aged 4-5, 6-7, & 8-9 years
Exercise: bench stepping with a loaded backpack

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Development of Child-Specific Scales
Bain (1993)
Sample: 16 boys & girls aged 8-11 years
(Years 4-6)
Exercise: cycling x 5 trials in a school changing room

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Development of Child-Specific Scales
Findings:
All groups could use CERT to describe changing
intensity levels, and to adjust their exercise;
 Good correlations (r > 0.76)

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Follow-up Validation
Lamb (1995 & 1996)
Cycle ergometry; Primary school setting;
 2 estimation trials and 2 production trials;
70 boys and girls (9-10 y.);
CERT versus RPE

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Follow-up Validation
Conclusions (i) (Estimation trials)
Correlations for CERT (vs. HR & PO) were consistently
higher than for RPE.
Both scales were used reliably.
The traditional Borg 6-20 scale was not the
best option for monitoring perceived exertion
during controlled cycling exercise . .

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Follow-up Validation
Conclusions (ii) (Production trials)
Modest validity (r = 0.5 – 0.6) in using BOTH scales
to regulate exercise output;
The efforts produced were generally reliable.
But…data were not so convincing to suggest either
scale in these forms could be used in a more practical
sense (e.g. P.E. setting).

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Validity (individual data)

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Pictorial Perceived Exertion Scales
Exercising Heart Exercising Heart
RPE Scale RPE Scale

(Lowry, 1995)(Lowry, 1995)

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Other Scales
Cart and Load Effort Rating Table (CALER)Cart and Load Effort Rating Table (CALER)

Eston et al. (2000)Eston et al. (2000)

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Other Scales
Original OMNI perceived exertion scale for
children
RobertsonRobertson
et alet al. . (2000)(2000)
BicyclingBicycling
ScaleScale

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Other Scales
RobertsonRobertson
et al. (2002)et al. (2002) Walk/Run ScaleWalk/Run Scale

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Other Scales
RobertsonRobertson
et al. (2005)et al. (2005) Stepping Scale (boys and girls)Stepping Scale (boys and girls)

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Other ScalesOther Scales
Eston-Parfitt (E-P) curvilinear RPE(2009)(2009)

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Progress?
U.K. Approach…..
Green, K. & Lamb, K. Green, K. & Lamb, K. (2000)(2000)
EuropeanEuropean Physical Education Physical Education
Review, 5, Review, 5, 88-10388-103

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Progress?
Conclusion:
““In the context of contemporary concern for HRE In the context of contemporary concern for HRE
….it is our contention that a case for the ….it is our contention that a case for the
potential utility of ‘effort perception’ has yet to potential utility of ‘effort perception’ has yet to
be presented to the PE subject-community. be presented to the PE subject-community. It is It is
hoped that this paper has taken tentative steps hoped that this paper has taken tentative steps
towards establishing such a casetowards establishing such a case.”.”

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Progress?
Development of a Pictorial CERT
(P-CERT)
Yelling, Swaine & Lamb (2002) European Physical
Education Review, 8, 157-175.
Validation of the P-CERT among secondary school
pupils (11-15 yr.)

Stepping exercise; – school environment.

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Yelling, Lamb & Swaine (2002)Yelling, Lamb & Swaine (2002)
Results….
Estimation
Trial

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Yelling, Lamb & Swaine (2002)Yelling, Lamb & Swaine (2002)
Results….
Production
Trial

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Progress?
Field Study 1
Yelling & Penny (2003) European Journal of
Physical Education, 8, 119-140.
Incorporating the P-CERT into PE lessons to
help fashion pupils’ understanding of how it feels
to exercise and to become independently active.

58. Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences
Yelling & Penney (2003)Yelling & Penney (2003)
In lessons, P-CERT scale shown to pupils during
specific activities;
HR monitor worn throughout each lesson; pupils
pressed button on watch after P-CERT rating.

59. Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences
Yelling & Penney (2003)Yelling & Penney (2003)
Follow-up focus groups
(classroom, n = 6, 50 min)
Discussed experiences of using the P-CERT
How they came to decide on their ratings

60. Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences
Yelling & Penney (2003)Yelling & Penney (2003)
Results….
 P-CERT corresponded to  HR
But, pupils generally underestimated intensity
P-CERT ratings influenced by factors other than
knowledge of own activity levels (focus groups)

61. Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences
Yelling & Penney (2003)Yelling & Penney (2003)
“Yet, although the pupils appeared to grasp the
concept of differentiating between physical
activity of varying intensity, their rating of
activity levels was not without problems or
complexities.”

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Yelling & Penney (2003)Yelling & Penney (2003)
Factors likely to influence children’s ratings:
Weather
Mood/attitude
Peer-group influence (‘fitting in’)
Fulfilling teachers’ expectations
Masculinity
Yelling, M. & Penney, D. (2003). Physical activity in Physical
Education: Pupil activity, reason and reality. European Journal of
Physical Education, 8, 119-140.

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Field Study 2
(Preston, 2005)
Using P-CERT to regulate physical activity during P.E.
21 boys from years 8 & 9 (13-15 y);
2 trials; exercising at 4 levels of the P-CERT (3, 9,
5, and 7, in that order) during two activities:
Continuous and Fartlek running
 HR monitoring

64. Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences
Findings:
For each activity, there was statistical effect of intensity
(P-CERT level) on HR (p < .01)
Year 9 pupils were better able to adjust their efforts
than Year 8
Efforts produced at P-CERT 9 were fairly consistent
(reliable) between the two trials (approx. 11% error)
As a preliminary attempt to introduce the concept,
these findings were seen as encouraging for P.E.

65. Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences
Progress?
Since 2005……
Very little!

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Progress?
NCPE (2014):
Aims “to ensure that all pupils…..”
Are physically active for sustained periods;
Lead healthy, active lives.

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Progress?
But, in the subject content Key Stages 1 & 2
(primary)…
No mention of:
 Health-related exercise (HRE)
 Awareness of the spectrum of PA/exercise
intensity
 How exercise intensity might be varied or
controlled.

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Progress?
By Key Stage 3 (yr. 7-9)…..
“…they should understand the long-term
health benefits of physical activity”.
But – no account of how this goal is to be met

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Progress?
Key Stage 4 (yr. 10 & 11)….
“They should get involved in a range of activities
that develops personal fitness and promotes an
active, healthy lifestyle”.
Range of activities 
Exercise intensity & health benefits 
Is it too late by ages 15 & 16?

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Progress?
U.S. Approach…..
Bob Robertson
(University of Pittsburg)-
“Professor RPE”
71 publications on RPE since 2002…….

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Progress?
Validation, validation, validation!

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Progress?
Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (2013)

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Progress?
“Instruction manual”
For teaching concept of PA intensity and link with
fitness;
Based on use of children’s OMNI scales

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Progress?
“Instruction manual”
Focus on:
 Providing standardized instructions
 Anchoring (experiential)
 Teacher feedback
 Encouraging student autonomy over their PA
 Improved enjoyment and exercise adherence

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Progress?
However…..
Lagally et al. (2016) -
RPE in a physical education setting…..
Validation of OMNI ratings against HR responses
49, 11-13 year-olds
during a 4-week ‘fitness unit’ – but…..
In a laboratory!

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ConclusionsConclusions
Any Progress during the last 25 years?
 Development of child-specific RPE scales? 
 Validity and reliability in different exercises?
 Value as an educational tool? ?
 Trials in classroom or on the ‘field’?
 Does the potential remain?


77. Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences
Thank you for your attention

78. Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences

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Yelling & Penney (2003)Yelling & Penney (2003)
Weather:
“If it’s like cold you normally give a lower number…
because you’re more likely fed up if it’s raining, so you
don’t do as much cause you’re standing still.” (Yr. 7
pupil)
Conversely…..
“If it’s cold then you work harder, to keep you warm I
mean….you keep moving to keep to stay warm.” (Yr.
7)

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Yelling & Penney (2003)Yelling & Penney (2003)
Mood:
If you’re in a good or a bad mood…if you’re feeling
happy you try a bit more...and you’ll say the actual
number you’re feeling, or if you’re unhappy and in a
mood you’d just look at it and go ‘6’ or something.”
(Yr. 10 pupil)

81. Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences
Yelling & Penney (2003)Yelling & Penney (2003)
Peer group influence:
“What about what about what your friends think?
Some people….cause their friends say like ‘5’, they’re
really on like ‘7’, you were really on ‘8’, and you might
say ‘5’.” (Yr. 7)
“Sometimes I was a bit nervous about saying which
number I was, because sometimes I was like really out
of breath and people were like, oh yeah, that’s about
a ‘2’, and I was like a ‘4’ at least, you know, I didn’t
want to stand out.” (Yr. 10)

82. Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences
Yelling & Penney (2003)Yelling & Penney (2003)
Teachers’ expectations:
“I think it’s who’s around you, like if your teacher is
there as well. Like when the teacher says, oh you
should be working hard ….and you’re like okay I
haven’t been trying that hard, so it’s a ‘4’, but you
have to say a ‘6’ anyway.” (Yr. 10)

83. Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences
Yelling & Penney (2003)Yelling & Penney (2003)
Masculinity:
“We probably lied a bit too…to make you look fitter I
suppose. If you say a lower number then you are not
finding it hard, so you look fitter….to make other
people think that you’ve got loads of stamina. But
really, I might be finding it a bit hard actually, like a
10! But you look better if you’ve got loads of
stamina.” (Yr. 10)

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Yelling & Penney (2003)Yelling & Penney (2003)
Pupils aged 9-13 & 14-18 yr.
Six games lessons observed among four groups;
Yr. 7 netball (n = 21)
Yr. 7 football (n = 28)
Yr. 10 netball (n = 18)
Yr. 10 football (n = 17)
60-min lessons on netball court or football pitch
“Natural curriculum setting”
Taught in usual manner with pre-planned content.
12 from each class took part in the research

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Yelling & Penney (2003)Yelling & Penney (2003)
2 prior familiarisation sessions with P-CERT
In lessons, A4 P-CERT shown to pupils during
specific activities
HR monitor worn throughout each lesson; pupils
pressed button on watch after P-CERT rating.
Follow-up focus groups (classroom, n = 6, 50 min)
Experiences of using the P-CERT
How they came to decide on their ratings

86. Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences
Yelling & Penney (2003)Yelling & Penney (2003)
Results….
P-CERT: 2,3, & 4 most common ratings
HRs: 130 - 179 most common
 PCERT corresponded to  HR
But, pupils generally underestimated intensity
P-CERT ratings influenced by factors other than
knowledge of own activity levels (focus groups)

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Yelling & Penney (2003)Yelling & Penney (2003)
Conclusions:
“Teachers can arguably develop a new capacity (by
using the PCERT) to”:
 Influence pupils’ physical activity levels;
 Prompt them to understand how it feels to
exercise;
 To be independently active;
 To help pupils recognise that physical activity can
be comfortable and enjoyable

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89. Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences
Practical Applications
Activity C involved:
4 min warm-up (PCERT 3; ‘Easy’)
3 min continuous sprint relay in pairs (PCERT 9)
4 min continuous track run (PCERT 5)
2 min continuous track run (PCERT 7)
2 min passive rest between each bout
Activity F involved:
4 min warm-up (PCERT 3)
4 min fartlek activity (PCERT 5)
2 min fartlek activity (PCERT 7)
PCERT 9 was identical to that in Activity C
2 min passive rest between each bout

90. Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences
Practical Applications
For each activity, there was statistical effect of intensity
(PCERT level) on HR (p < .01)
Activity C
HR produced ranged from 169 – 183 bpm
PCERT 9 > PCERT 3
Activity F
HR produced ranged from 163 – 178 bpm
PCERT 9 > PCERT 3, 5, & 7

91. Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences
Progress?
However…..
Lagally et al. (2016) - RPE in a physical education setting
Validation of OMNI ratings against HR responses
49, 11-13 year-olds (U.K. Year7-9)
during a 4-week ‘fitness unit’ - but in a laboratory
Familiarisation session (incl. anchoring)
Cardiovascular Circuit (cycling and treadmill)
Muscle Endurance Circuit (various upper & lower body)
Self-selected intensity (‘good workout’) for 2-3 min

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Progress?
Findings….
HR (bpm) RPE (0-10)
Mean Range Mean Range
Cardio 158 117-202 5.3 1-9
Muscle 133 57-164 5.1 1-9
Low correlations between HR & RPE (r = 0.3)
i.e. higher HRs did not necessarily equate to
higher RPE ratings

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Progress?
Conclusion…..
Low correlations owing to:

Lack of control over the exercise intensity
Narrow choice of efforts
Brevity of exercise bouts
But…further research warranted “to provide an
optimal field situation for evaluating the usefulness of
perceived exertion in a PE class.”

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OriginsOrigins

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OriginsOrigins

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OriginsOrigins

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U.S. Approach…..
Since 2002
71 journal publications

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Validity of CERT: Average
data

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Development of Child-Specific Scales
Bain (1993)
Protocol 1: incremental, 10-25 W 
every 4 min (estimation trial)
Protocol 2: 4 min at CERT levels 5, 7, & 9 (randomised)
(production trial)
Measures: HR, power output & CERT ratings (last 30 s of
each bout)

100. Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences
OriginsOrigins

101. Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences
OriginsOrigins
Landmark publication….

102. Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences
OriginsOrigins
New rating of perceived exertion (RPE) scale….
(First used in 1966-1967)

103. Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences
OriginsOrigins
1 11 Neither light not laborious
2 12
3 Extremely light 13 Rather laborious
4 14
5 Very light 15 Laborious
6 16
7 Light 17 Very laborious
8 18
9 Rather light 19 Extremely laborious
10 20
21 (Borg, 1962)

104. Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences
Progress?
U.S. Approach..
Since 2000
OMNI
Scale

105. Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences
Progress?
Validation, validation, validation!
Most recent involving children (aged 10-17): -
Exercise intensity self-regulation using the OMNI scale
in children with cystic fibrosis (2013).
Laboratory-based cycling & treadmill study
(Robertson’s original 2000 OMNI scale)

106. Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences
Development of Child-Specific Scales
Results
Estimation
CERT & HR, r = 0.76
CERT & PO, r = 0.75
Production CERT 5 CERT 7 CERT 9
HRHR 0.65 0.65 0.78 0.78 0.79 0.79
POPO 0.84 0.84 0.87 0.91 0.87 0.91
Plus…Plus…
Children could Children could produceproduce the above CERT levels quite the above CERT levels quite
reliably.reliably.

107. Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences
Yelling & Penney (2003)Yelling & Penney (2003)
Conclusions:
“Teachers can arguably develop a new capacity (by
using the PCERT) to”:
 Influence pupils’ physical activity levels;
 Prompt them to understand how it feels to
exercise;
 To be independently active;
 To help pupils recognise that physical activity can
be comfortable and enjoyable

108. Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences
Validity?
RPE is also strongly correlated to RPE is also strongly correlated to physiologicalphysiological
responses to exercise:responses to exercise:
Heart rateHeart rate Oxygen uptakeOxygen uptake

109. Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences
P-CERT

Yelling, Lamb & Swaine (2002) Yelling, Lamb & Swaine (2002)

110. Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences
Yelling & Penney (2003)Yelling & Penney (2003)
Pupils aged 11-13 & 14-18 yr.
6 X 60-min lessons on netball court or football pitch
“Natural curriculum setting”
Taught in usual manner with pre-planned
content.
12 from each class took part in the research
2 familiarisation sessions with P-CERT

111. Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences
Progress?
Findings….
Low correlations between HR & RPE (r = 0.3)
higher HRs did not generally
equate to higher RPE ratings
Owing to “the challenges of data collection in a
natural PE setting.”