Acute Stress Recovery

Understanding How Cognitive Performance and Physiological Measures Change After Acute Stress and How Different Sensory Features of a Relaxation Room Help Recover

The proposed study aims to evaluate whether different features of a relaxation room affect how individuals recover from acute stress. This study will use a unique methodology to capture participants' physiological and behavioral measures through a combination of non-invasive technologies, including wearables devices, active sensors, cognitive tasks, and/or subjective questionnaires. Participants will perform a stress induction task, after which they will rest in a relaxation room. Physiological measures and cognitive performance will be recorded throughout the experiment to determine whether features of the relaxation room promote recovery after acute stress. Identifying the occurrence of stress and ways to potentially reduce the effects of stress could lead to novel interventions for helping individuals reduce work-related stress.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Adults at least age 18
2. Participants are able to remain in the Well Living Lab for 3-4 hours
3. Participants are able to perform scripted tasks
4. Participants are able to provide informed consent
5. Participants are able to wear the wearable devices at all times during the study
6. Participants have completed a COVID vaccine regimen and can provide written documentation verifying vaccination status at least fourteen (14) days prior to the commencement of the research study

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Participants with a reported history of diagnosed mood, anxiety, or major health disorders
2. Participants who have used steroid-based medications within the past three years
3. Participants with a history of drug/alcohol abuse
4. Participants with or recovering from nicotine dependency who cannot use a nicotine patch
5. Participants who consume excessive amounts of caffeine
6. Participants who have had severe sleep disturbance (e.g., shift work, chronic insomnia)
7. Women who are pregnant or intend to become pregnant at the time of the study
8. Participants with a history of diagnosed cognitive impairment
9. Participants taking any medications that might affect the physiological measures of interest
10. Participants with anything that might affect collecting the physiological measures of interest (e.g., cosmetic products, head coverings, head products, etc.).