A research group at Keio University has revealed that vibration stimulation that imitates the heartbeat of a smartwatch has the effect of relieving tension.It was also found that the degree of this effect depends on individual differences in the perceptual ability (internal receptive sensation) of the internal state of the body.
Although it has been known that pseudo-heartbeat affects human emotions and moods, the presence or absence of the effect has been different depending on the research.On the other hand, "internal receptive sensation" is considered to be a system that is the basis of emotion recognition, which affects how to feel stress and how to deal with it.
Therefore, in this study, we investigated the relationship between the effect of pseudo-heartbeat and individual differences in internal receptive sensation by experiments.
In the experiment, the physical reaction of the participants was measured when a pseudo heartbeat stimulus that was 2% slower than their own heartbeat was given through a smartwatch under the stress of giving a speech in public and feeling tension.In addition, the participants' internal receptive sensation was evaluated by a test (heart rate measurement task) in which they were asked to identify their own heart rate.
As a result, it was found that the more accurate the internal receptive sensation, the stronger the parasympathetic nerve by receiving the pseudo-heartbeat stimulus, and the more the heartbeat speed accelerated by tension was suppressed.On the other hand, when the pseudo-heartbeat stimulus was not given, the parasympathetic nerve was weakened as the internal receptive sensation was more accurate, and the heartbeat tended to be faster due to tension.
That is, it was clarified that the stress response is larger in a person who has an accurate internal receptive sensation and is more sensitive to the physical reaction, but the tension relaxation effect by the pseudo heartbeat stimulus is also large.It is considered that the way of feeling the physical reaction evoked by the external stimulus differs depending on the individual difference of the internal receptive sensation, and as a result, the way of feeling stress and the influence on emotions are also influenced.
This result also shows the possibility of developing a "smart tactile device" that enables effective emotional control by customizing it according to the individual's receptive sensation.
