Rhythmical stereotypies (leg-swinging) associated with reductions in heart-rate in normal school children

This experiment examined the relationship between rhythmical stereotypies (leg-swinging) and heart rate in 12 normal school children. Telemetric measurement of heart rate was made while the children were filmed during active and passive school behaviour. Heart rate decreased during leg-swinging and was more pronounced in girls than in boys. Heart rate also decreased more when school behaviour was active than when it was passive. The correlative use of heart rate thus strengthened functional interpretations of behaviour.