What does your heartrate say about you?

How other people interpret heartrate signals,

Not how people feel about disclosing these information, but what this information means in context.

How do people use biosignals to make

- character judgments

- predictions about behavior?

Vignette experiment (n=80)

Lab-based experiment (n=75)

You planned to meet your acquaintance for a movie at seven. It's 7:15, and you're standing alone in front of the theater. Your phone buzzes, and you see a message from this person that says, "I'm running late, traffic was really slow."  Through your smartphone, you are able to see this person's heartrate, which the app designates as elevated. It is currently 75 degrees and sunny. Your movie starts at 7:20.

"At first I believe that maybe my acquaintance is running late; however when I discover that their heart rate is normal I wonder why it isn't higher…"

Normal heartrate

"If his heartrate is normal, then he is probably not lying. I would still be slightly annoyed at this."

What does heartrate mean? 

It's complicated!

"Raw" heartrate data has expressive capacity. What it "means" is richly contextual, dependent on both situational factors and individual interpretation. 

Can knowing someone's heartrate affect your behavior toward them?.......stay tuned!