"Please Share": Promoting Embodied Forms of Interpersonal Stress Sharing Through Real-Time Neurofeedback

Paper Title

'Please Share': Promoting Embodied Forms of Interpersonal Stress Sharing Through Real-Time Neurofeedback

Publication Info

• Topic area: Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) and neurofeedback for stress sharing
• Keywords: stress sharing, neurofeedback, EEG, biofeedback systems, interpersonal interaction, haptic modalities, visual feedback, embodied design, mental health, social biofeedback

Background and Problem

• Problem / challenge: Existing biofeedback systems focus on individual stress management but lack exploration of neurofeedback systems for embodied interpersonal stress sharing.
• Significance: Stress sharing can reduce emotional burdens and foster relational closeness, offering potential benefits for mental health and social support.
• Motivation and related work: Prior research has demonstrated the efficacy of biofeedback for individual stress regulation but has limited focus on social applications, particularly using EEG-based neurofeedback. Studies on mediated touch and visual feedback suggest opportunities to enhance interpersonal stress sharing.

Solution

• Proposed approach: Minus × Minus=Plus, an interactive system that externalizes collective neural activity through EEG visualization and haptic interaction to foster shared stress experiences.
• Novelty:
  1. Development of a multimodal EEG neurofeedback system integrating real-time visualization, object-mediated interaction, and interpersonal touch.
  2. Introduction of a process-oriented framework for stress sharing and a preliminary Stress Sharing Experience Questionnaire (SSEQ).
  3. Empirical insights into how visual, haptic, and touch modalities enhance stress sharing, with design implications for collaborative biofeedback systems.
• Procedure and key techniques:
  • Participants wear EEG headsets and interact with touch balls while observing their stress visualized as dynamic cube clusters.
  • Interaction progresses through three stages: Visualization (individual stress externalization), Merging (collaborative synchronization), and Explosion (shared stress release).
  • Data from EEG and touch sensors drive real-time visualizations, with stress indices calculated from Beta-to-Alpha EEG ratios.

Results

• Concrete findings:
  • Stress sharing scores significantly increased post-interaction (t(105) = 4.785, p < 0.001).
  • Expressiveness showed the most significant improvement (t(105) = 3.788, p < 0.001).
  • Visual feedback was perceived as the most effective modality (84% selection), followed by interpersonal touch (60.4%) and object-mediated interaction (50%).
• Advantage over baselines: Enhanced stress sharing experience, particularly in expressiveness, compared to pre-interaction levels; broader psychosocial benefits like increased self-perception and connectedness were observed.
• Experiments / evaluation:
  • Field study with 110 participants (55 pairs) at a public art exhibition.
  • Mixed-methods approach using pre- and post-questionnaires (SSEQ, STAI-6), interviews, and observational data.
• Limitations and future work:
  • Short interaction duration and public setting may limit engagement depth.
  • No-feedback or sham-feedback control conditions were absent.
  • EEG signal quality constrained by consumer-grade hardware.
  • SSEQ scale refinement needed for broader psychometric validity.

Summary

This study introduces Minus × Minus=Plus, a multimodal EEG neurofeedback system designed to facilitate interpersonal stress sharing through visual and haptic interaction. Quantitative results show significant enhancements in stress sharing experience, particularly in expressiveness, while qualitative findings highlight the roles of visual feedback, touch, and object-mediated interaction in fostering self-awareness and relational closeness. Limitations include signal accuracy and contextual constraints, suggesting future work on extended interaction durations, controlled settings, and refined measurement scales. This research contributes to HCI by demonstrating the potential of embodied neurofeedback systems to support mental health and social connection.