Document Type

Poster

Publication Date

Spring 2015

Abstract

The goal of this study was to examine the effects of low level activity during study sessions on academic performance in college students. Students in an introductory psychology course completed 2 hours of prescribed studying each week after their first exam. Individuals were placed in the Regular Desk group (58, 62.9% female) or FitDesk group (59, 62.5% female). The FitDesk is a stationary bike with a desk top attachment. Sleep quality was subjectively measured weekly across the semester and compared with class grades using a regression. Sleep quality predicted class grades (R=0.21, p=0.05). Further analysis found that FitDesk users with high sleep quality outperformed Regular Desk students with low sleep quality on their exams (p=0.05). Finally, an interaction between sleep quality and group suggested FitDesk use mitigated gradual decrease in sleep quality (p=0.05). These findings suggest increased light activity have positive effects on sleep quality and academic performance.

Comments

Poster presentation at Clemson University 10th Annual Focus on Creative Inquiry Forum, Clemson, SC.

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