CARDIOVASCULAR REACTIVITY IN LABORATORY A ND FIELD

The present study examined the methodology of evaluating cardiovascula r reactivity in two contexts, laboratory and field. Subjects were 76 n ormotensive students from University Simon Bolivar (Caracas, Venezuela ) evaluated, at rest, during an arithmetic task in the laboratory and a numerical test in the field. Results suggest that the cardiovascular response is a function of the design of repeatead measures. Significa nt increases were observed in the following sequence: first of all sys tolic blood pressure, followed by heart rate and finally diastolic blo od pressure, when comparing phases of rest with phases of stressful ta sks. Increments for both stressful situations in the laboratory and fi eld are equivalent, which supports the thesis of similar reactivity to stress by normotensive subjects in two different contexts.