Electroencephalographic (EEG) Analysis of Individuals Experiencing Acute Mental Stress

Abstract

On an almost daily basis, individuals experience varying forms of stress. The stress experienced can range in intensity and quantity and if not properly handled can lead to problematic mental and physical disorders. In this study, subjects are monitored for varying acute mental stress levels using electroencephalography, heart rate, and galvanic skin conductance. The research accomplished in this study was broken into two parts. The first part induced acute mental stress through a mobile game application both inside and outside of a faraday cage chamber. The use of the faraday cage chamber allowed for the observance of Radio Frequency (RF) interference behavior on electroencephalography, heart rate, and skin conductance devices. Overall, it was found that the use of a faraday cage chamber provided no significant changes to the values obtained by electroencephalography, heart rate, and skin conductivity sensors. The second part induced acute mental stress through both an arithmetic exam and mobile game application. The goal of the second part of the experimentation was to determine whether a mobile game application could induce a greater sense of urgency and stress than an arithmetic exam. Individual trials were conducted to determine if there existed a correlation between the data received from electroencephalography, heart rate, and skin conductance measurement devices. Overall, the data perceived from electroencephalography showed results which mimicked that of other studies accomplished at other learning institutions and promoted the conclusion that the mobile game application was more stress inducing than a mathematical exam. Heart rate and skin conductance data gathered also agreed with the overall findings gathered from electroencephalography data.