Verbal estimation of peak dynamic hand forces as a percentage of maximal effort

The purpose of this study was to determine if trained people could accurately report their peak dynamic hand forces verbally during a variety of pushing and pulling tasks (3 heights, 3 force levels). Four groups of subjects (n = 40) received different amounts of feedback training on the amount of force they were exerting (from 0 to 100 MVC). Despite differences in feedback training, the four groups reported hand forces similarly during testing. Overall, hand forces were reported better by males than females (mean error = 13.1 MVC and 15.5 MVC), for pushing than pulling tasks, and at the low force level (mean error = 8.5 MVC). Subjects underestimated their level of exertion 75 of the time, on average. There was a strong relationship between actual and self-reported hand forces for the pushing and pulling exertions tested, as indicated by the generated prediction equations (adjusted R 2 ranged from 0.61 to 0.75)