What might cause a false high reading of pulse rate?

Using too much pressure while measuring the pulse can indeed lead to a false high reading. When excessive pressure is applied to the pulse point, it can occlude the blood flow, causing the heart rate measured to be inaccurately elevated. This happens because the increased pressure disrupts the normal pulsation detected by the pulse measuring technique, potentially leading to an exaggerated count.

In the context of this question, other scenarios like palpitations during rest might suggest an increased heart rate but would not necessarily give an inaccurate measurement due to technique; low blood pressure may not directly influence the accuracy of the pulse reading; and counting for less than a full minute would more likely provide an inaccurate low reading rather than a high one. The emphasis here is on the technique used for measuring the pulse, which is critical for obtaining accurate results.