The Effect of Physical Activity vs. Cognitive Activity in Reaction Time
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The Symposium provides undergraduates from all academic disciplines with an opportunity to share their research with the university community and other guests through conference-style oral presentations. The Symposium represents part of a larger effort of Iowa State University to enhance, support, and celebrate undergraduate research activity.
Though coordinated by the University Honors Program, all undergraduate students are eligible and encouraged to participate in the Symposium. Undergraduates conducting research but not yet ready to present their work are encouraged to attend the Symposium to learn about the presentation process and students not currently involved in research are encouraged to attend the Symposium to learn about the broad range of undergraduate research activities that are taking place at ISU.
The first Symposium was held in April 2007. The 39 students who presented research and their mentors collectively represented all of ISU's Colleges: Agriculture and Life Sciences, Business, Design, Engineering, Human Sciences, Liberal Arts and Sciences, Veterinary Medicine, and the Graduate College. The event has grown to regularly include more than 100 students presenting on topics that span the broad range of disciplines studied at ISU.
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Abstract
Exercise is associated with an increase in cardiovascular functional ability. Results from previous studies indicate both visual and auditory reaction times were significantly faster after aerobic exercise compared to no exercise. We are replicating these results using a visual reaction time task. In addition we are comparing the effect of physical exercise to the effect of a mentally stimulating activity. We hypothesize that post-exercise reaction time will yield the fastest reaction time. To test this we will test 12 individuals, 6 males and 6 female on a 4-Choice Reaction Test after a 3-minute cardio regime and a Stroop task that requires mental effort. The cardio exercise consists of performing jumping jacks, high- knees, and sprint-kicks for a minute each. The Stroop task requires participants to identify the ink color of color-words (for example, green) that are consistent with the ink color or different from the ink color. They read these words for 90 seconds. Before and between conditions we collect resting heartrate.