Heart rates are frequently used to measure stress levels in actual and simulated police operations.1 Understanding that increased heart rates can result from elevated stress, the question has long been whether elevated heart rates mean that decision-making and performance will suffer. By now, regular readers of Force Science News know the answer to this question....Read More
It is widely understood that the body can automatically prepare us to respond to threats. Not just actual threats, but those that are perceived or merely expected. Ideally, when this process is engaged, the nervous system is activated and we benefit from heightened senses, faster decision-making, improved mental function, and increased strength. But when this...Read More