This study investigated differences in values of manual muscle tests after
exposure to congruent and incongruent semantic stimuli. Muscle testing with
a computerized dynamometer was performed on the deltoid muscle group of 89
healthy college students after repetitions of congruent (true) and incongr
uent (false) self-referential statements. The order in which statements wer
e repeated was controlled Ly a counterbalanced design. The combined data sh
owed that approximately 17% more total force over a 59% longer period of ri
me could be endured when subjects repeated semantically congruent statement
s (p < .001). Order effects were nor significant. Or-rr-all, significant di
fferences were found in muscle-rest responses between congruent and incongr
uent semantic stimuli.