Examining the Effects of Team-Based Exercise on Cognition and Perception: The Role of Gender and Emotion

abstract: Physical activity has been shown to have lasting impacts on one's physical and mental wellbeing. The purpose of this study was to further this understanding by examining the effects of high team-based exercise on cognition and perception, and the role of gender and emotion in those differences. Participants were fitted with a biometric measure system (EEG headset, GSR bracelet, face-based emotion recognition system, and eye tracking system), while they engaged in diverse tasks, such as: a demographic survey, self-report of emotional intelligence test, tower of London test, motor speed test, viewing product and experience marketing videos, working memory capacity battery, completion of an online task on online store, and a system usability survey. By participating in this series of assessments, individuals of low and high exercise levels had diverse metrics collected which yield a view into their cognition and perception. This study found that gender and emotion does play a role in the effect on cognition and perception of individuals who exercise in team-based settings. Utilizing Welch's t-test, female participants of high team-based exercise were found to be less engaged during the tower of London test and a marketing video about baseball products that shows different experiences of the game and more distracted during a marketing video about baseball products that shows a particular baseball product than male participants of high team-based exercise during the same same exact test and marketing videos