Validity and Reliability of the Heart Rate Matching task, a novel measure of heart rate estimation

Monitoring changes in the pace of the heartbeat is a key aspect of interoception. Here, we tested the construct validity of the Heart Rate Matching task, a novel, fast and accessible task designed to assess ability to estimate heart rate. In the first in-person experiment (N = 41), under- and over-estimations of the heart rate were not significantly correlated with two interoceptive tasks designed to assess perception of individual heartbeats; the adapted Heartbeat Counting and the Multi-Interval Heartbeat Discrimination tasks. A second experiment conducted online in a large sample (N = 149), found moderate significant correlations between Heart Rate Matching and the original Heartbeat Counting task, thought to assess estimation of heart rate. The task also correlated with a matched exteroceptive task, highlighting involvement of shared multi-sensory integration processes. The third experiment (N = 34) demonstrated good test-retest reliability of the Matching task and significant correlations with Heart Rate Discrimination task, also thought to assess estimation of heart rate. Taken together, these data suggest good validity and reliability of the Heart Rate Matching task and fit with an interpretation of the task as a measure of ability to estimate heart rate.