Alston Smith
Pronouns: she/her
Research Mentor(s): Peter Bodary
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Movement Science / Kinesiology
Program: UROP
Session: Session 5 (2:40pm – 3:30pm)
Authors: Alston Smith, Hannah Swirple, Grace Cole, Christopher Brooks, Peter Bodary
Abstract
This project is investigating the relationship between heart rate variability (HRV), academic performance, and executive functioning while also assessing the ability to use wearable technology to obtain non-clinical HRV data. HRV is used in clinical settings to measure parasympathetic involvement in cardiac activity, but it is not yet widely used in academics. Previous research conducted by Thomas & Viljoen (2019) on the positive correlation between HRV and academic performance has in females, which inspired this project to replicate and further analyze the preliminary findings. The project involves collecting heart rate data from both electrocardiogram (ECG) and photoplethysmography (PPG). The participants for this study are first-year undergraduate students, female, ages 18-22, and from the University of Michigan.The ECG and PPG data will be used to determine participant heart rate variability, which will subsequently be used to evaluate a possible relationship with academic performance. The HRV data is collected using wearable technology (specifically Biostrap and Polar devices); executive functioning is measured through Stroop and Trail-Making cognitive tests; and academic performance is measured via ACT/SAT scores and GPA. The use of wearable technology makes HRV data more accessible outside of clinical areas and could assist students in their learning. For example, students with access to HRV data might be able to better regulate their emotions and strengthen their learning by understanding how their physiological state affects their cognitive state. The study is still ongoing and is hypothesized to show a significant relationship between HRV and academic performance in females. This finding would indicate that a person’s cognitive state can impact learning and would allow management of this state to become another strategy for academic improvement.
