Maria Manuela Valladares is supported by a Utah State University Research Catalyst SEED Grant attained from Idalis Villanueva.

Procedures have been approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at Utah State University for studies on human subjects. Care should be taken that IRB procedures are approved by the host institution and considerations regarding the protection of human subjects should take place prior, during, and after performance of any aspect of this protocol. As per IRB regulations, involvement of external parties or companies in the data collection and analysis processes must follow proper protocols to de-identify participant information and protect the confidential nature of the data.
1. Selection of Participants and Activities to Test
<ol>
	<li>Select student participants at the middle of the semester or 3 months after a desired course content was presented by the professor to diminish any short-term memory recollections from the participants.</li>
	<li>Exclude any participants from a laboratory study that parallels this work if the participant has a: (a) history of pre-determined condition (e.g. arrhythmia) or metabolic disorder; (b) left-handedness or ambidextrous ability (this can interfere with physiological sampling); (c) psychological history (current or past) or history of behavioral or emotional disorder (this can skew the collection from the self-reports); (d) medical history for heart, metabolic, or cognitive disorders; (e) physical disability that would prevent participation in the laboratory sessions of the study; and (f) traumatic brain injury. Female participants wishing to be part of the hormonal study have additional restrictions explained in step 2.5.</li>
	<li>Recruit according to established Institutional Review Board (IRB) protocols by including detailed procedures and restrictions about protection of confidentiality. 
	NOTE: If a company will have access to the data, (in this case salivary samples and galvanic skin response data were collected from third party companies) ensure that an agreement is in place for proper handling of data (e.g., time for refrigeration), sharing (e.g., security of server), and include a timeline to destroy the data (e.g., one year after publication of data). Include these guidelines in your IRB application and follow proper guidelines as required by the IRB organization within your institution.</li>
	<li>Select course activities that represent the complexity of knowledge and tasks that students need to perform in. 
	NOTE: For this protocol, freshmen engineering students were selected due to the difficult and complex nature of the course content. The activities that were deemed representative were a combination of two types of engineering problems from two commonly used engineering exams: the Mental Cutting Plane Test (MCT) and the Purdue Spatial Visualization Test (PSVT-R). MCT looks at two-dimensional cut sections that corresponds to a three-dimensional object24 while PSVT-R looks for three-dimensional rotation of an object25. Each were used to test for spatial performance and verbal memory for this student population26, 27.</li>
</ol>
2. Prior to the Laboratory Session
<ol>
	<li>Host an orientation for the volunteer participants at least 1 - 2 weeks prior to the laboratory session. Clarify all terms from the IRB informed consent. Perform a demonstration of the use and fitting of the galvanic skin sensor and proper data collection procedures for salivary hormone collection, according to the manufacturer protocols28. Explain the risks and benefits of the study.</li>
	<li>Establish a calendar that participants can enroll in. If participants are enrolling in the salivary biomarker piece of the study, be sure to establish times during the morning before breakfast as cortisol levels are lowest at this time of day and include any disclosures for enrolling in the allotted times (see step 2.5 for more information). 
	NOTE: Ensure that all participants provide at least three available time slots for the study. Accommodate participants in a randomized fashion to minimize biases and provide more statistically valid results.</li>
	<li>Pre-fit the galvanic wrist sensor for each volunteer by ensuring that the sensor straps secure the participant&#39;s wrist during the orientation session. Enter the participant study ID code and the unique wrist sensor bar code provided by the supplier to ensure consistency for follow-up laboratory sessions if needed.</li>
	<li>Send a reminder to the participants of the procedures and restrictions for data collection and pre-conditions prior to the day of sampling, according to manufacturer protocols28. 
	NOTE: Examples of procedures and restrictions can include: (a) no food, dietary or energetic products, or sugary drinks during diurnal collections or at least 1 hr prior to the study; (b) no water consumption 1 hr prior to data collection; (c) no teeth brushing or mouth rinses; (d) no chemical products (e.g., hand lotions, creams, chapsticks, perfumes, dyes) in the required contact areas (e.g., wrists, face, lips); (f) no hair products or styling; and (g) no physical activities (e.g., brisk walking, cycling, running, weights) 24 hr&#160;before the study.</li>
	<li>For female participants, collect salivary samples between 10 - 12 days after the first day of the participant&#39;s menstrual period to minimize hormonal fluctuations during salivary collection28. 
	NOTE: During the stated time period, if female participants are taking any form of hormone-based treatment such as any birth control pills, intrauterine devices, creams or sprays (oral, topical, or vaginal), sublingual and troches, patches, films, injections, allow 12 - 36 hr&#160;to pass from the time of ingestion/application to allow the treatment effects to level off. The timeline required to collect salivary samples will vary by the biomarker and the specifications of the company&#39;s salivary kit. Galvanic skin response collection is done according to Section 3.2 for female participants. Male participant salivary collection is done according to Section 3.1.5.1 and galvanic skin response according to Section 3.2.</li>
</ol>
3. Day of Laboratory Session
NOTE: The following procedures are presented in recommended order of data collection under the assumption that 1 - 2 researchers are involved. However, some of these procedures could be run in parallel if more than 2 researchers are collaborating in the study.
<ol>
	<li>Salivary Biomarkers
	<ol>
		<li>Provide participants with a checklist to outline physical activities exerted during the 24 hr period prior to the study (e.g., physical activity, food and drink consumption, use of lotions or hormone based products) as described in the manufacturer protocol28(see step 2.4 and 2.5). 
		NOTE: If a participant has performed any or all of the activities from the checklist, re-assign the participant to meet at another day. If water consumption was the only restriction not met, ask the participant to stay an extended time in the study to allow an appropriate time, according to manufacturer guidelines, to pass (~ 1 hr) before salivary collection occurs.</li>
		<li>Ask the participants to fill out the health information checklist provided by the saliva assay kit28. Ensure that all salivary vials are pre-labelled and time stamped before and after the laboratory sessions. 
		NOTE: Salivary cortisol has a reactivity of approximately 20 min19,20 and as such, spit collection procedures should be done within this timeframe. Follow spit collection procedures according to step 3.1.5 and manufacturer guidelines28.</li>
		<li>Keep a copy of the health information checklist and shipping information for future record-keeping, tracking, and further analysis. Be sure to follow IRB protocols and procedures during storage of checklist items. Complete a timeline of the laboratory activities, personnel, and collection vials for each participant.</li>
		<li>Ensure that all participants and researchers handling salivary samples are wearing aseptic gloves at all times to minimize cross-contamination.</li>
		<li>When collecting spit, instruct the participant to pool saliva in the tip of the participant&#39;s lips before spitting into the vial to minimize bubble formation that may affect accuracy of results, according to manufacturer instructions28.
		<ol>
			<li>Instruct participants to not touch the tip of the vial with the participant&#39;s lips or fingers as this can introduce contamination to the sample (spit vial method). To encourage salivary production, recommend to the participant to smell a citrus fruit such as a lemon or head tilt forward to speed up formation of saliva.</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
		<li>Store all collected salivary samples -20 oC for up to 7 days if analysis of these samples will not occur immediately. Longer storage (up to 30 days) will require samples to be stored at -80 oC.</li>
		<li>To ship the frozen samples to a third party company, have a sealed foam box containing dry ice ready and an airtight and sealed copy of the health information sheet pre-filled by the participant. Make sure that participants place their unique study ID code in the identifier section of the sheet to prevent private information to be sent to the company.</li>
		<li>When ready, ship the vials to the company for analysis of biomarker for the Salivary Profile 1: Testosterone, Progesterone, DHEA, Cortisol, and Estradiol. Analysis of biomarkers was carried out by the manufacturer according to established protocols28. Place samples in an immunoassay plate reader and read the sample optical density at a wavelength of 450 nm. 
		NOTE: All biomarkers require a solid-phase, competitive enzyme immunoassay. A fixed amount of the conjugated biomarker competes for the binding sites with an antibody that corresponds to each biomarker. After incubation, unbound components are washed away and an enzyme substrate solution is added, forming a color representative to the biomarker. For example, progesterone begins with a blue color and upon reacting with the enzyme becomes yellow.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Galvanic Skin Response
	<ol>
		<li>Clean the galvanic skin sensors with prepackaged sterile 70% alcohol wipes or a sterile gauze containing a small amount of 70% isopropanol to remove residues from prior participants. Clean the device before and after every data collection session or participant, whichever comes first.</li>
		<li>One hour before the study session, remind participants to clean and dry their hands. 
		NOTE: Collection of salivary samples in combination with the galvanic skin response will require that collections time points are considered. For example, cortisol salivary collection should be collected within 20 min (step 3.1.2) while galvanic skin sensors need to be fitted and calibrated with 5 - 10 min as described in step 3.2.6.</li>
		<li>Place a new or clean sports wrist band in the non-dominant writing wrist of the participant before installing the galvanic skin response sensor. Allow the participant to wear the wrist band for 1 hr prior to collecting data. 
		NOTE: The sports wrist band should be pre-labelled according to the unique wrist ID to avoid cross-contamination between participants</li>
		<li>After 1 hr, remove the sport wrist band and place the galvanic skin sensor. Ensure that the galvanic skin sensor touches the median nerve of the wrist to ensure proper collection of pulse and heart rates. Unite the bands together in the sensor to ensure a tight fit on the wrist.</li>
		<li>Press the galvanic skin sensor indicator light. Wait until the light turns from red to green to white; a white color indicates that data collection has started.</li>
		<li>Ask the participant to wear the galvanic wrist sensor for a set period of time (5 - 10 min) with no physical movement from the non-dominating wrist to calibrate and collect baseline tonic data. 
		NOTE: A baseline data will be found when the galvanic skin response data levels off and no spikes or noise is longer visible. Check the manufacturer software using the assigned account by the manufacturer. Open a session and verify that data is being collected29.</li>
		<li>Start a slide presentation containing representative and time stamped problem sets for each of the exams activities described in section 1.5. Ask the participant to record the times after completing each slide to allow for timestamps between the collected GSR data and the events to be compared.</li>
		<li>Periodically check that the galvanic skin sensor lights are white and verify that data is being collected. 
		NOTE: Sampling rate of the sensors presented in this work was based on manufacturer specifications and capabilities (rate of 8 Hz with a low electrical current of 1100 mAh).Galvanic response through electrodermal activity (EDA) was reported in microSiemens (&#181;S) as tonic (baseline responses to an exam event or self-report/interview question) and phasic (acute, immediate response to an exam event or self-report/interview question, above a certain &#181;S threshold).</li>
		<li>Have handy a replacement battery and sensor, in case data collection problems occur during the session. At the end of the session, press the indicator light until it is turned off. Carefully remove the wrist sensor and wipe it with alcohol.</li>
		<li>Retrieve the data from the manufacturer software29. Log in to the account and click on Sessions. Select the date of the study and click on the Download tab. Download the data in .csv file for easy use.</li>
		<li>Track timelines of the events in the study. Download the data in the wrist sensor software session. Download data as a UNIX epoch time, which is the number of seconds that has elapsed since January 1, 1970 (not counting leap seconds). Convert the UNIX time to a GMT time zone if timelines need to be tracked in the data using an open source timestamp converter30. To convert this time, simply convert the time in the data sheet using this conversion (1 year = 365.24 days = 31556926 sec).</li>
		<li>Retrieve electrodermal data in wrist sensor software session. Click View on any of the desired sessions. Present the data as real-time or select by a set period of time by the researcher.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Self-report Survey and Emotional Inquiries
	<ol>
		<li>Before and after the slides, provide a pre- and post- survey.During the second collection point (end of the exam), collect the final salivary sample and then provide the self-report while collecting EDA data. Record all time points. 
		NOTE: This study used a modified Topics in Emotion scale developed by Broughton and colleagues31.</li>
		<li>While wearing the galvanic skin sensor, ask the participants questions that paralleled the self-report. 
		NOTE: Keep in mind that timelines need to be considered if you are collecting salivary samples as indicated in step 3.1.2 and 3.3.3.</li>
		<li>As possible, record the date and time for cross-checking of GSR data and its alignment with the timing of the self-reported responses in a laboratory notebook. In addition, include instructions in the slide show presentation explaining to the participants to annotate the time after completing the required instructions after each slide to enable cross-comparison of timed events with the GSR data.</li>
		<li>Ensure that the computer based software has consistent instructions and that each slide is clearly labelled. If keystroke setups are needed for the study, indicate in the slide instructions what keystroke should be pressed in each slide.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Wrap-Up Activities
	<ol>
		<li>After collecting all the information, remove the wrist sensor and turn off the sensor data in reverse order to step 3.2.5. Guide the participants to a designated room offering food, beverage, drinks, and provide receipts for a future monetary compensation (if it was stated in the IRB consent form) for participation in the study.</li>
		<li>Follow-up the activity with an emailed notification of gratitude for participation and include available timeslots for discussion of the results with the participants.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>

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<li>Wolkowitz, O. M., Rothschild, A. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&safe=off&q=author%3aWolkowitz%2C+OM+%22Psychoneuroendocrinology%3A+The+Scientific+Basis+of+Clinical+Practice%22">Psychoneuroendocrinology: The Scientific Basis of Clinical Practice</a>. , American Psychiatric Publishing Inc. (2003).</li>
<li>Craig, M. C., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((Physiological+variation+in+estradiol+and+brain+function%3A+a+functional+magnetic+resonance+imaging+study+of+verbal+memory+across+the+follicular+phase+of+the+menstrual+cycle%5BTitle%5D)+AND+%22Horm.+Beh%22%5BJournal%5D)">Physiological variation in estradiol and brain function: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study of verbal memory across the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle.</a> Horm. Beh. 53 (4), 503-508 (2008).</li>
<li>Stangl, B., Hirshman, E., Verbalis, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((Administration+of+dehydroepiandrosterone+%28DHEA%29+enhances+visual-spatial+performance+in+post-menopausal+women%5BTitle%5D)+AND+%22Beh.+Neurosci%22%5BJournal%5D)">Administration of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) enhances visual-spatial performance in post-menopausal women.</a> Beh. Neurosci. 125 (5), 742-752 (2011).</li>
<li>Hromatko, I., Tadinac, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=((Testosterone+levels+influence+spatial+ability%3A+further+evidence+for+curvilinear+relationship%5BTitle%5D)+AND+%22Rev.+of+Psychol%22%5BJournal%5D)">Testosterone levels influence spatial ability: further evidence for curvilinear relationship.</a> Rev. of Psychol. 13 (1), 27-34 (2007).</li>
<li>Villanueva, I., Goodridge, W. H., Wan, N. J. A., Valladares, M. M., Robinson, B. S., Jordan, K. Hormonal and Cognitive Assessment of Spatial Ability and Performance in Engineering Examination Activities. Society of Neuroscience Meeting, Washington, D.C, , (2014).</li>
</ol>

None of the authors have competing interests or conflicting interests.

This protocol describes the integration of self-report surveys and inquiries, salivary biomarkers, and galvanic skin responses to study individual differences in classroom activities during a laboratory session. This protocol has many advantages for researchers seeking to identify academic achievement emotions, emotional regulation, and affective responses to different activities in an instructional setting, especially during assessment periods (e.g., exams). Whereas traditionally, self-reports and academic grad...

In the area of academic achievement emotions, studies indicate that understanding of students&#39; motivations could predict students&#39; performance, achievement, and career plans1. Students&#39; abilities to &#39;emotionally respond&#39; to challenging course tasks2 are pivotal to students&#39; professional development. Yet, nearer to real-time responses related to academic achievement emotions are under-explored3-6. This paper presents a protocol to study ways to explore nearer real-time responses from students (e.g., physiological responses) when presented with representative classroom situations (e.g., test taking) using salivary biomarkers, galvanic skin responses, and self-reported surveys and interviews. While the work will not seek to establish connections between these salivary biomarkers, galvanic skin responses and self-reports, future work will aim to further explore the underlying mechanisms that associate each response.
Self-reporting of academic achievement emotions in the classroom can be used to assess affective, cognitive, motivational, physiological, and behavioral components that represent the human mind. Due to its cheap cost, easy dissemination and traceability, self-report surveys are highly used in classroom settings7. However, these have some disadvantages. For example, self-reports are limited to the representations of the conscious mind8, which can change the manner that individuals represent themselves. Also, language and semantics in self-reports may be understood differently between cultures and individuals7; its meanings can change over time or represent something different in light of the situation that the participant is involved in8. Moreover, self-reporting in academic settings can be multifaceted, idiosyncratic and dependent on memory, social desirability, and individual beliefs7, 9-11. For example, participants&#39; beliefs about professors&#39; expectations and motives can affect how students respond and perform during classroom activities7, 9-11. As such, complementary methods based on nearer to real-time responses are needed to reduce sampling biases and subjectivity when using self-reports. This work will supplement self-reports with salivary biomarkers and galvanic skin responses to better understand the nearer real-time responses of students to classroom activities.
Sampling of salivary biomarkers has become popular in understanding physiological foundations of individuals&#39; responses to various stressors that can impact cognitive abilities9. Psychological development of cognition is affected by hormones in many species, including human beings7,12. During sensitive periods of development, hormones are capable of making changes in the organization of the brain, which can have long-lasting effects on behavior8. Different aspects of cognition, for example, can be affected by hormones during different times of an individual&#39;s development. Spatial ability, which studies have shown can include gender differences13-17, is moderately enhanced by androgens (e.g., dehydroepiandrosterone-DHEA, testosterone) in prenatal development and then again throughout adulthood18. On the contrary, verbal abilities have been linked to enhancement of oestrogens (e.g., estradiol) and progesterones18. Physiological biomarkers of stress such as cortisol, are found in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in humans12-16, 19-21. When a situation is perceived as uncontrollable, cortisol levels elevate19 and can result in differential responses in individuals. Recent work has begun to use hormones to study academic achievement emotions, although to this point it is very limited20,22.
Research in understanding psychophysiological responses that measure emotion via physiological arousal in education has used galvanic skin responses (GSR). GSR is a measure of microscopic amounts of sweat secreted from the skin and is related to the autonomic nervous system (ANS). When a person becomes nervous or anxious about a task, palms become sweaty. Therefore, emotional regulation and cognitive processes, among other brain functions, can influence the control of sweating. More activation of the system (i.e., high stress, cognitive load or strong emotional responses) results in more sweat secretion than low activation states (i.e., boredom, low cognitive load). As sweat secretion fluctuates, the electrical conductivity of the skin changes. Thus, GSR is widely considered as a proxy for quantifying stress level or cognitive load. GSR is typically measured by bands containing electrodes that come into contact with hands, wrist, or feet and is recently being used in classroom settings22,23 due to its low cost and feasibility compared to available neuroimaging techniques7. The combination of galvanic skin responses with salivary biomarkers will allow for a more comprehensive assessment of student responses to classroom activities nearer to real-time.
The proposed protocol discussed here will serve to combine educational and physiological techniques to establish a methodology to help educational researchers understand student performance and response to classroom activities (e.g., exams). While the work will not focus on understanding fundamental connections between emotions and physiological and biological constructs, this protocol is a starting point to help researchers move in that direction. This protocol will cover methods to measure salivary biomarkers and galvanic skin responses during an exam activity and compare it against the information obtained from self-reports and interviews. For this work, an engineering exam and students were selected due to the difficult and complex nature of the discipline1,6 and concepts, which may ignite both cognitive and emotional responses in the participants.

<table><tbody><tr><td>Salivary Kit</td><td>ZRT Laboratories</td><td>Female/Male Saliva Profile I&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;</td><td>An account needs to be created with the company before sending samples; diurnal samples are recommended for this protocol</td></tr><tr><td>Galvanic Skin Response Wrist Sensor and Band</td><td>Empatica, Inc.</td><td>E3P.v4</td><td>M/L fits for the majority of the population although you may need to purchase a smaller size for thin wrists</td></tr><tr><td>E-Prime Software</td><td>Psychology Software Tools</td><td>E-Prime 2.0 Professional</td><td>Consider time stamping separately from software</td></tr></tbody></table>

use of galvanic skin responses, salivary biomarkers, and self-reports to assess undergraduate student performance during a laboratory exam activity

Typically, self-reports are used in educational research to assess student response and performance to a classroom activity. Yet, addition of biological and physiological measures such as salivary biomarkers and galvanic skin responses are rarely included, limiting the wealth of information that can be obtained to better understand student performance. A laboratory protocol to study undergraduate students&#39; responses to classroom events (e.g., exams) is presented. Participants were asked to complete a representative exam for their degree. Before and after the laboratory exam session, students completed an academic achievement emotions self-report and an interview that paralleled these questions when participants wore a galvanic skin sensor and salivary biomarkers were collected. Data collected from the three methods resulted in greater depth of information about students&#39; performance when compared to the self-report. The work can expand educational research capabilities through more comprehensive methods for obtaining nearer to real-time student responses to an examination activity.

This section illustrates representative examples of results that can be obtained from each measure, including the self-report. The intent of the figures is to present the utility of adding measures such as salivary biomarkers (Figure 1) and galvanic skin responses (Figure 2) to self-reports (Figure 3) in order to gain a greater spectrum of information from a classroom event (e.g., exams). For triangulation of self-reports with a ...

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Use of Galvanic Skin Responses, Salivary Biomarkers, and Self-reports to Assess Undergraduate Student Performance During a Laboratory Exam Activity

Research on undergraduate students' academic achievement emotions have primarily relied on self-reports in laboratory settings. Studies rarely include bio-physiological measures to these self-reports. This protocol will describe a methodology that integrates self-reports with and bio-physiological measures to assess student response and performance during a laboratory examination activity.

Typically, self-reports are used in educational research to assess student response and performance to a classroom activity. Yet, addition of biological ...

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Research

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Behavior

9.3K Views.  Utah State University. Research on undergraduate students' academic achievement emotions have primarily relied on self-reports in laboratory settings. Studies rarely include bio-physiological measures to these self-reports. This protocol will describe a methodology that integrates self-reports with and bio-physiological measures to assess student response and performance during a laboratory examination activity.

Video: Use of Galvanic Skin Responses, Salivary Biomarkers, and Self-reports to Assess Undergraduate Student Performance During a Laboratory Exam Activity

Assessing the Multiple Dimensions of Engagement to Characterize Learning: A Neurophysiological Perspective

In a recent theoretical synthesis on the concept of engagement, Fredricks, Blumenfeld and Paris1 defined engagement by its multiple dimensions: behavioral, emotional and cognitive. They observed that individual types of engagement had not been studied in conjunction, and little information was available about interactions or synergy between the dimensions; consequently, more studies would contribute to creating finely tuned teaching interventions. Benefiting from the recent technological advances in neurosciences, this paper presents a recently developed methodology to gather and synchronize data on multidimensional engagement during learning tasks. The technique involves the collection of (a) electroencephalography, (b) electrodermal, (c) eye-tracking, and (d) facial emotion recognition data on four different computers. This led to synchronization issues for data collected from multiple sources. Post synchronization in specialized integration software gives researchers a better understanding of the dynamics between the multiple dimensions of engagement. For curriculum developers, these data could provide informed guidelines for achieving better instruction/learning efficiency. This technique also opens up possibilities in the field of brain-computer interactions, where adaptive learning or assessment environments could be developed.

This paper aims to describe the techniques involved in the collection and synchronization of the multiple dimensions (behavioral, affective and cognitive) of learners&#8217; engagement during a task.

In a recent theoretical synthesis on the concept of engagement, Fredricks, Blumenfeld and Paris1 defined engagement by its multiple dimensions: ...

A Community-based Stress Management Program: Using Wearable Devices to Assess Whole Body Physiological Responses in Non-laboratory Settings

A pragmatic breath-based intervention to benefit human performance and stress management is timely and valuable to individuals seeking holistic approaches for emotional regulation and optimizing compensatory reserve mechanisms. This protocol is designed to not only teach mind-body awareness but also to provide feedback utilizing physiological data and survey results. The primary findings of this study showed that heart coherence and alpha variables were significantly correlated after four weeks of the breath-based meditation stress protocol. Meditation and rhythmic breathing produced significant increases in alpha brain activity. These brain physiological responses conformed to the Pleth Variability Index (PVI) changes, suggesting the ability of the human body to enter into a meditative state and effectively manage stress. When assessed after four weeks of daily practicing the techniques employed in the stress management protocol, based on the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, subjects improved in applying mindfulness skills. The overall mindfulness score, Pleth variability index (PVI), and perfusion index (PI) increased after the 4-week intervention period. Results from electroencephalography (brain waves) were consistent with a meditative state during the post-study follow-up session. This provides evidence that wearable devices are feasible for data collection during a breath-based stress management intervention. This protocol can be easily and efficiently implemented into any study design in which physiological data are desired in a non-laboratory-based setting.

Stress is an unavoidable and persistent component of life and holistic approaches for its management are being considered. A standardized methodology was created to demonstrate the feasibility of a breath-based stress management protocol that can be used with commercially available portable technology.

A pragmatic breath-based intervention to benefit human performance and stress management is timely and valuable to individuals seeking holistic approaches ...

Evaluation of Commercial-Off-The-Shelf Wrist Wearables to Estimate Stress on Students

Wearable commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) devices have become popular during the last years to monitor sports activities, primarily among young people. These devices include sensors to gather data on physiological signals such as heart rate, skin temperature or galvanic skin response. By applying data analytics techniques to these kinds of signals, it is possible to obtain estimations of higher-level aspects of human behavior. In the literature, there are several works describing the use of physiological data collected using clinical devices to obtain information on sleep patterns or stress. However, it is still an open question whether data captured using COTS wrist wearables is sufficient to characterize the learners' psychological state in educational settings. This paper discusses a protocol to evaluate stress estimation from data obtained using COTS wrist wearables. The protocol is carried out in two phases. The first stage consists of a controlled laboratory experiment, where a mobile app is used to induce different stress levels in a student by means of a relaxing video, a Stroop Color and Word test, a Paced Auditory Serial Addition test, and a hyperventilation test. The second phase is carried out in the classroom, where stress is analyzed while performing several academic activities, namely attending to theoretical lectures, doing exercises and other individual activities, and taking short tests and exams. In both cases, both quantitative data obtained from COTS wrist wearables and qualitative data gathered by means of questionnaires are considered. This protocol involves a simple and consistent method with a stress induction app and questionnaires, requiring a limited participation of support staff.

A protocol to evaluate solutions based on commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) wrist wearables to estimate stress in students is proposed. The protocol is carried out in two phases, an initial laboratory-based stress induction test, and a monitoring stage taking place in the classroom while the student is performing academic activities.

Wearable commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) devices have become popular during the last years to monitor sports activities, primarily among young people. ...

Engineering

Measuring Biophysical and Psychological Stress Levels Following Visitation to Three Locations with Differing Levels of Nature

Visitation to natural environments has been linked to psychological stress reduction. Although most stress-related research has relied on self-report formats, a growing number of studies now incorporate biological stress-related hormones and catalysts, such as cortisol and &#945;-amylase, to measure levels of stress. Presented here is a protocol to examine the effects on levels of biophysical and psychological stress following visitation to three different locations with differing levels of nature. Biophysical and self-reported psychological stress levels are measured immediately upon entering the selected locations and just prior to the visitors leaving the site. Using a &#34;drool&#34;&#160;method, the biophysical measure consists of 1-2 mL samples of saliva provided by study subjects upon entry to one of three study locations. As prescribed by extant literature, the saliva is collected within a 45 minute time frame following the end of the visitor&#8217;s engagement at the location. Following saliva collection, the samples are labeled and transported to a biological lab. Cortisol is the biophysical variable of interest in this study and measured using an ELISA process with a TECAN plate reader. To measure self-reported stress, the Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ), which reports levels of worry, tension, joy, and perceived demands. Data are collected at all three sites in the late afternoon through early evening. When compared across all three settings, stress levels, as measured by both the biological markers and self-reports, are significantly lower after visitation to the most natural setting.

The purpose of this paper is to identify changes in stress levels after visitation to three different settings and to describe the methods used in identifying stress levels based on measures of salivary cortisol, &#945;-amylase, and a psychological self-report instrument.&#160;

Visitation to natural environments has been linked to psychological stress reduction. Although most stress-related research has relied on self-report ...

Collecting Saliva and Measuring Salivary Cortisol and Alpha-amylase in Frail Community Residing Older Adults via Family Caregivers

Salivary measures have emerged in bio-behavioral research that are easy-to-collect, minimally invasive, and relatively inexpensive biologic markers of stress. This article we present the steps for collection and analysis of two salivary assays in research with frail, community residing older adults-salivary cortisol and salivary alpha amylase. The field of salivary bioscience is rapidly advancing and the purpose of this presentation is to provide an update on the developments for investigators interested in integrating these measures into research on aging. Strategies are presented for instructing family caregivers in collecting saliva in the home, and for conducting laboratory analyses of salivary analytes that have demonstrated feasibility, high compliance, and yield quality specimens. The protocol for sample collection includes: (1) consistent use of collection materials; (2) standardized methods that promote adherence and minimize subject burden; and (3) procedures for controlling certain confounding agents. We also provide strategies for laboratory analyses include: (1) saliva handling and processing; (2) salivary cortisol and salivary alpha amylase assay procedures; and (3) analytic considerations.

We demonstrate: (1) procedures for collection of salivary samples in cognitive impaired older adults by family caregivers in the home setting, (2) procedures for measuring stress activity via salivary cortisol and alpha amylase, and (3) representative profiles. Protocols that allow researchers to study stress-linked processes advance our understanding of biological sensitivity and susceptibility.

Salivary measures have emerged in bio-behavioral research  that are easy-to-collect, minimally invasive, and relatively inexpensive  biologic markers of ...

Medicine

A Cross-Disciplinary and Multi-Modal Experimental Design for Studying Near-Real-Time Authentic Examination Experiences

Over the past ten years, research into students&#39; emotions in educational environments has increased. Although researchers have called for more studies that rely on objective measures of emotional experience, limitations on utilizing multi-modal data sources exist. Studies of emotion and emotional regulation in classrooms traditionally rely on survey instruments, experience-sampling, artifacts, interviews, or observational procedures. These methods, while valuable, are mainly&#160;dependent on participant or observer subjectivity and is limited in its authentic measurement of students&#39; real-time performance to a classroom activity or task. The latter, in particular, poses a stumbling block to many scholars seeking to objectively measure emotions and other related measures in the classroom, in real-time.
The purpose of this work is to present a protocol to experimentally study students&#39; real-time responses to exam experiences during an authentic assessment situation. For this, a team of educational psychologists, engineers, and engineering education researchers designed an experimental protocol that retained the limits required for accurate physiological sensor measurement, best-practices of salivary collection, and an authentic testing environment. In particular, existing studies that rely on physiological sensors are conducted in experimental environments that are disconnected from educational settings (e.g., Trier Stress Test), detached in time (e.g., before or after a task), or introduce analysis error (e.g., use of sensors in environments where students are likely to move). This limits our understanding of students&#39; real-time responses to classroom activities and tasks. Furthermore, recent research has called for more considerations to be covered around issues of recruitment, replicability, validity, setups, data cleaning, preliminary analysis, and particular&#160;circumstances (e.g., adding a variable in the experimental design) in academic emotions research that relies on multi-modal approaches.

An experimental design was developed to investigate the real-time influences of an examination experience to assess the emotional realities students experience in higher education settings and tasks. This design is the result of a cross-disciplinary (e.g., educational psychology, biology, physiology, engineering) and multi-modal (e.g., salivary markers, surveys, electrodermal sensor) approach.

Over the past ten years, research into students&#39; emotions in educational environments has increased. Although researchers have called for more studies ...

Multimodal Protocol for Assessing Metacognition and Self-Regulation in Adults with Learning Difficulties

Learning disabilities (LDs) encompass disorders of those who have difficulty learning and using academic skills, exhibiting performance below expectations for their chronological age in the areas of reading, writing, and/or mathematics. Each of the disorders making up the LDs involve different deficits; however, some commonalities can be found within that heterogeneity, such in terms of learning self-regulation and metacognition. Unlike in early ages and later educational levels, there are hardly any evidence-based evaluation protocols for adults with LDs. LDs influence academic performance but also have serious consequences in professional, social, and family contexts. In response to this, the current work proposes a multimodal evaluation protocol focused on metacognitive, self-regulation of learning, and emotional processes, which make up the basis of the difficulties in adults with LDs. The assessment is carried out through analysis of the on-line learning process using a variety methods, techniques, and sensors (e.g., eye tracking, facial expressions of emotion, physiological responses, concurrent verbalizations, log files, screen recordings of human-machine interactions) and off-line methods (e.g., questionnaires, interviews, and self-report measures). This theoretically-driven and empirically-based guideline aims to provide an accurate assessment of LDs in adulthood in order to design effective prevention and intervention proposals.

The current work proposes a multimodal evaluation protocol focused on metacognitive, self-regulation of learning, and emotional processes, which make up the basis of the difficulties in adults with LDs.

Learning disabilities (LDs) encompass disorders of those who have difficulty learning and using academic skills, exhibiting performance below expectations ...

Measuring Engagement of Spectators of Social Digital Games

The goal of this methodology is to assess explicit and implicit measures of engagement of spectators during social digital games in a group of participants with motion tracking systems. In the context of games that are not confined within a screen, measuring the different dimensions of engagement such as physiological arousal can be challenging. The focus of the study is made on the spectators of the game and the differences in their engagement according to interactivity. Engagement is measured with physiological and self-reported arousal, as well as an engagement questionnaire at the end of the experiment. Physiological arousal is measured with electrodermal activity (EDA) sensors that record the data on a portable device (EDA box). Portability was essential because of the nature of the game, which is akin to a life-size pong and includes many participants that move. To have an overview of the events of the game, three cameras are used to film three angles of the playing field. To synchronize the EDA data with events happening in the game, boxes with digital numbers are used and put in the frames of cameras. Signals are sent from a sync box simultaneously to the EDA boxes and to light boxes. The light boxes show the synchronization numbers to the cameras, and the same numbers are also logged on the EDA data file. That way, it is possible to record EDA of many people that move freely in a large space and synchronize this data with events in the game. In our particular study, we were able to assess the differences in arousal for the different conditions of interactivity. One of the limitations of this method is that the signals cannot be sent farther than 20 meters away. This method is, therefore, appropriate for recording physiological data in games with an unlimited number of players but is restricted to a limited space.

We propose a methodology that enables measuring engagement of spectators in a social digital game combining physiological and self-reported data. As this digital game involves a group of freely moving people, the experience is filmed using a synchronizing technique that links physiological data with events in the game.

The goal of this methodology is to assess explicit and implicit measures of engagement of spectators during social digital games in a group of ...

Implementing Gibson Assembly to Enhance Molecular Biology Education and Skills

Improving Student Outcomes with an Adaptable Molecular Cloning Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience

The continuous advancement of molecular biology techniques requires that molecular biology curricula are&#160;regularly refined to effectively prepare students to enter the workforce with modern competencies. In particular, the emergence of Gibson Assembly, a highly customizable and adaptive molecular cloning technique, has advanced the landscape of molecular cloning in numerous research environments. Thus, we created a Gibson Assembly cloning module for deployment in a molecular biology laboratory course at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and evaluated student learning outcomes from the module. Over three iterations of the course, students participated in an experiment-based independent project that involved cloning three unique plasmid libraries to support research projects in natural products biosynthesis. Students were given pre- and post-questionnaires to evaluate their understanding of molecular cloning and their confidence in molecular biology terms and techniques. Students&#8217; responses showed a significant increase in both learning molecular cloning concepts and in self-reported confidence with molecular cloning terms and techniques. This module framework can be generalized to teach Gibson Assembly for various applications, providing instructors with a toolkit for teaching an adaptable and emergent cloning technology while advancing their research projects.

An adaptable Gibson Assembly molecular cloning module was employed in a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) format for molecular biology laboratory course students. Assessment of student learning outcomes showed improved understanding and confidence in molecular cloning after completion of the CURE, and novel plasmids were cloned for natural product biosynthesis research.&#160;&#160;

The continuous advancement of molecular biology techniques requires that molecular biology curricula are&#160;regularly refined to effectively prepare ...

Biochemistry

Electroencephalographic, Heart Rate, and Galvanic Skin Response Assessment for an Advertising Perception Study: Application to Antismoking Public Service Announcements

The evaluation of advertising, products, and packaging is traditionally performed through methods based on self-reports and focus groups, but these approaches often appear poorly accurate in scientific terms. Neuroscience is increasingly applied to the investigation of the neurophysiological bases of the perception of and reaction to commercial stimuli to support traditional marketing methods. In this context, a particular sector or marketing is represented by public service announcements (PSAs). The objective of this protocol is to apply electroencephalography (EEG) and autonomic signal analysis to study responses to selected antismoking PSAs. Two EEG indices were employed: the frontal alpha band EEG asymmetry (the Approach Withdrawal (AW) index) and the frontal theta (effort index). Furthermore, the autonomic Emotional Index (EI) was calculated, as derived from the Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) and Heart Rate (HR) signals. The present protocol describes a series of operational and computational steps required to properly estimate, through the aforementioned indices, the emotional and cerebral reaction of a group of subjects towards a selected number of antismoking PSAs. In particular, a campaign characterized by a symbolic communication style (classified as "awarded" on the basis of the prizes received by specialized committees) obtained the highest approach values, as estimated by the AW index. A spot and an image belonging to the same PSA campaign based on the "fear arousing appeal" and with a narrative/experiential communication style (classified as "effective" on the basis of the economical/health-related improvements promoted) reported the lowest and highest effort values, respectively. This is probably due to the complexity of the storytelling (spot) and to the immediateness of the image (a lady who underwent a tracheotomy). Finally, the same "effective" campaign showed the highest EI values, possibly because of the empathy induced by the testimonial and the explicitness of the message.

The following protocol describes a series of operational and computational steps required to properly estimate the emotional and cerebral reaction of a group of subjects towards a selected number of Public Service Announcements (PSAs) against smoking, aired in the USA and Europe during the period between 1998 and 2015.

The evaluation of advertising, products, and packaging is traditionally performed through methods based on self-reports and focus groups, but these ...

Use of Galvanic Skin Responses, Salivary Biomarkers, and Self-reports to Assess Undergraduate Student Performance During a Laboratory Exam Activity

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