Interactions between physiological and affective arousal: A laboratory exercise for psychology

As part of the laboratory component of an introductory psychology course, 4 20 students participated in an exercise demonstrating the relation between psychological states and physiological response. Before and during 2 videot ape segments, the first relaxing and the second suspenseful, student experi menters measured the heart rate and blood pressure of fellow students who s erved as participants. Participants also completed 4 psychoaffective items aimed at assessing their subjective arousal to the video stimuli. Both phys iological and subjective arousal measures who showed significant variation across stimulus conditions, demonstrating the psychophysiological nature of affective arousal. Student evaluation of the laboratory exercise was posit ive with respect to learning goals, interest in the project, and clarity of procedures.