Does being watched influence how you exercise?

Marc.S wrote (see)

how fast you run/how much you lift is directly proportional to attractivness of the person around you X by the probability of eye of the tiger being on the radio. 

absolutely brilliant !!

I would be interested in knowing the actual rate of effort (e.g. pace / distance run) rather than the perceived rate of effort. If the actual rate of effort is constant, it leads to certain conclusions; if the actual rate of effort changes, it leads to others.

It would also be interesting to know what happens with female subjects being observed (and not just for Phil's reasons).

Dan Ellingworth wrote

 

It would also be interesting to know what happens with female subjects being observed (and not just for Phil's reasons).

I wouldnt change anything if being watched my another female but would slow down ...put less effort in if being watched by a man...unless I had a baggy tee shirt and really good sports bra on.

If i see another runner when i am feeling tired, i am inspired to keep on going, since i realise i am not the only doing this bloody mad thing called running, but really my pace never changes. I am on my own mission in my own little world. The outside world has no interest for me, when i am in the zone.

Have to admit, being fiercely competitive, working out in the gym or in a class I always work harder than I probably would on my own, and when out running I will always push on up a hill if there are any spectators even if I slow down when out of sight - sad, aren't I? And I've always got a sprint in me at the finish, it isn't only the men!

dean richardson 7 wrote (see)

women watching men excerise - lower perceived exertion - the men are trying to convince the ladies that this isnt hard work and i can do this easily

men watching men exercise - increased perceived exertion - the men are trying to convince the watching men that what i am doing is incredibly difficult.

so men want to impress women by how easy they find it and keep men at arms length by showing difficult it is. 

Agree with this.

Us men are trying to prove to you lasses that we're supremely fit and are a better specimen than any other men in the vicinity and therefore it's US that they should be considering 1st when they are planning on who they wish to practice making babies with.

Unless your that way inclined, the opposite is true of when other men (especially the long haired, lycra wearing, fake tanned ones) are watching at us. And possibly winking.

*WINKING. WIN, WINKING. GOT THAT? WINking.

What is the SI unit of "perceived" exertion?

If it is only perceived, does it actually exist?

SuperCaz wrote (see)

If it is only perceived, does it actually exist?

Exactly. That's why my argument was that it was a silly question in the first place. If it's only perceived then nothing's actually happening. The bloke on the treadmill might just as well be pretending he looks like George Clooney!

This is getting borderline philosophical. Empiricists would argue that only things that can be perceived exist. Realists, though, would argue that perceptions are based on real existing phenomena, but that the perceptions might be distorted. I would argue that there are two things going on here: real effort, and perceptions of that effort. Given that both can be measured, why has the research only looked at perceived effort?

I'm sitting in my lounge typing on here, but I perceive that I'm putting a lot of effort into it.  Will I lose weight and get fitter?

I'm confused by the OP, but I would guess that it might have something to do with testosterone. When another male dog approaches my dog, his hackles and tail both go up. Assessing the situation.

Maybe men subconsciously feel differently when other men are involved in something that in caveman days could be seen as a kind of show of the fittest, strongest, fastest etc...

Or maybe I'm just talking shite

What is the RPE of the guy running when watched by a man who is dressed as a woman?

Very fast I would have thought!

Tenjiso wrote (see)

What is the RPE of the guy running when watched by a man who is dressed as a woman?

What if everyone was naked, how would that change the results?

I have noticed myself that I definitely speed up and improve my posture/technique when other people are around. Probably more so when it's another runner.

Haven't noticed a difference based on that person's gender but it wouldn't surprise me if I tried harder in front of an attractive female - just seems like natural male behaviour!

I'm a woman and if I'm out running and I hear a car coming I immediately speed up and try and look like I'm not out of breath until said car disappears around the corner - sad I know haha!

concreteangel wrote (see)

I'm a woman and if I'm out running and I hear a car coming I immediately speed up and try and look like I'm not out of breath until said car disappears around the corner - sad I know haha!

run along a busy road, you'll smash your pb's

Dan Ellingworth wrote (see)

This is getting borderline philosophical. Empiricists would argue that only things that can be perceived exist. Realists, though, would argue that perceptions are based on real existing phenomena, but that the perceptions might be distorted. I would argue that there are two things going on here: real effort, and perceptions of that effort. Given that both can be measured, why has the research only looked at perceived effort?

Spot on. Because the answers everybody has given have, of course, been about the reasons for real increase in effort.

I'm sitting in my lounge typing on here, but I perceive that I'm putting a lot of effort into it.  Will I lose weight and get fitter?

...pretty much sums it up.

I sometimes feel like I'm running faster and more freely while at others I feel like I'm plodding. My watch, however, tells me I'm running at exactly the same pace. The real question is, since it's not a physical thing what is it that psychologically causes the difference in perception? Because if there was an answer to that, running could potentially feel more enjoyable more of the time.