The detrimental effects of chronic stress are gaining increasing attention. In addition to human suffering, stress has economic impact and long-term consequences on society and people in general. Two recent research studies show great promise in identifying stress levels in a work environment with the Moodmetric measurement.
Research at Tampere University: Moodmetric technology shows great promise in identifying stress levels in a work environment
The Personal Health Informatics research group at Tampere University, Finland, has studied the effects of cognitive stress on the body in a simulated research environment.
In the research setting individuals were exposed to three different levels of emotional and cognitive stress: calm, active, and intense. The impact of the different simulated situations on the individuals was analysed by measuring electrodermal activity (EDA) and a questionnaire. The purpose of the research was to find out how accurate the Moodmetric smart ring is at measuring EDA in comparison to the traditional laboratory methods. In addition, the aim was also to study how well the self-assessments of the individuals correlated with the test results. Machine learning was used to analyse the test results.
The results are encouraging: ‘The conclusions appear to support the hypothesis that the Moodmetric smart ring can provide information on the stressfulness of work-related situations almost as accurately as respective laboratory equipment designed to measure EDA’, says Hannu Nieminen, D.Sc. and head of the research.
Overall the research has brought about some very interesting information, including the observation that individuals are less able to recognize and interpret the level of stress they are experiencing in a particular situation than the measuring devices reading their EDA.
The results of the research were published at the conference for Engineering in Medicine and Biology in Berlin in July 2019.
For Moodmetric the research is an important, continued validation of accuracy. The easy-to-use Moodmetric smart ring can provide information on the stressfulness of work-related situations almost as accurately as respective laboratory equipment designed to measure EDA.
Tomppa Pakarinen, Julia Pietilä, Hannu Nieminen. 2019. Prediction of Self-Perceived Stress and Arousal Based on Electrodermal Activity.
Access here the Moodmetric Handbook: How Can Companies Reduce Stress at Work
Research at University of Jyväskylä: The Moodmetric index correlates with the stress hormone cortisol
There is another research ongoing in Finland by Jyväskylä University, in collaboration with a private health clinic called Pihlajanlinna, which appears to confirm the accurateness of the Moodmetric index in clinical research.
A cognitive stress test, Trier Mental Challenge, was used to measure the ability of the participants to do arithmetic calculations, which grew more difficult over a period of ten minutes. The participants’ cortisol levels were measured from saliva before and after taking the cognitive test, and the Moodmetric smart ring was worn throughout the test. On average, the MM level variated between 61±15 and the changes in cortisol were 12±71%. The relative change in cortisol levels correlated positively with the MM level (r=.71, p=0.005, see picture). The more the level of cortisol rose during the test, the higher the MM levels were.
The full research results by the team from the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Jyväskylä will become available in 2021.
The Moodmetric ring is widely used in research for example to study stress, arousal, attention learning and customer experience. Read more about Moodmetric in research.
