This protocol combines qualitive and quantitative approach to examine accurately participants'experience during the Trier Social Stress Test, and the TSST for Groups. This makes me thoughts shows the added value of using the enactive phenomenological approach to analyze experimental protocols more deeply. To begin, instruct the participant to tilt their head forward, allow saliva to pool in their mouth, and release the saliva into a small tube.
Then, freeze the tube immediately, at negative 20 degrees Celsius. After this, measure the participant's anxiety with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory questionnaire. Then, measure the participant's emotional state with the Self-Assessment Manikin questionnaire.
After bringing the participant to the TSST room, and explaining their actions will be filmed, ask the participant to imagine a job of their choice. After three minutes of preparation time, give the participant five minutes in front of a committee to explain why they are the best candidate for the job. If the participant stops talking during this time, remind them that they still have time remaining.
If the participant stops talking for a second time, remain silent for 20 seconds. Then, ask some standardized job interview questions if the participant does not resume speaking. Begin the mental arithmetic task by instructing the participant to count backwards from 2, 023 in steps of 17, as quickly and correctly as possible.
When the participant makes an error, point out the mistake, and instruct the participant to start over. Collect saliva from the participant as previously described. Then, measure the participant's anxiety by having them fill out an STAI questionnaire.
After this, explain that the participant must try to relive past activities, helped by their own audio-visual record of the TSST. While the participant watches the video, ask the participant directive questions to aid in the re-emergence of the experience. Enactive interviews are difficult to conduct due to the structuring effects of language.
The writer must question the participants about action, and avoid global discourse, post-analysis, or discretion out of the precise moment. Next, allow the participant to describe, comment on, and show their lived experiences step by step. Investigate these components of the experience, as intentions and perceptions, by asking the participant about their intentions.
Finally, ask the participant follow-up questions based upon their responses to the previous questions. In this protocol, quantitative and qualitative methods were used to examine participants'experiences during the Trier Social Stress Test. Salivary cortisol was used as a physiological marker of stress.
In the TSST and the TSST for Groups, salivary cortisol significantly increased compared to the control group. The STAI scale was used as a psychological marker of stress. The TSST and the TSST for Groups demonstrated increased stress over the course of the procedure, compared to the control group.
The SAM scale was also employed as a psychological measure of stress. The TSST and the TSST for Groups displayed different dynamics of pleasure, arousal, and dominance during the procedure, compared to the control group. Combining quantitative and qualitative methods of measuring stress, allows for the comprehension of stress manifestations during the TSST and other similar tests.
The originality of our approach is the use of mixed methods, with physiological indicators, self-reported indicators, and experiential indicators. This procedure provides a new way to use mixed methods with an enactive phenomenological approach to improve a protocol, evaluate a device, or give a cross-vision of the same research subject. The enactive phenomenological approach provides a foundation for future research to understand the participants'point of view analyzing the dynamic of stress and emotion.
