With the accelerated pace of modern work, more and more employees are feeling the pressure in the workplace. In Switzerland, one third of employees feel stress in the workplace. It is a challenge for employees to identify and manage stress early.
According to a paper in the March issue of the Journal of Biomedical Informatics, researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich) have developed a new model to detect stress in the workplace through employees' typing and mouse behavior. This approach not only provides early warning, but is also expected to help employees avoid developing chronic stress.
↑ Screenshot of the paper release page
In the lab, 90 participants completed work tasks in a simulated "real office environment". Researchers observed and recorded their mouse and keyboarding behavior, while measuring their heart rate and subjective stress levels. Surprisingly, the study found that the employees' typing and mouse behaviors were more accurate tests of their stress levels in the office than their heart rates.
"How we type and move the mouse on the keyboard seems to be a better predictor of how stressed we feel in an office environment than heart rate." Study author Marla Negrin said. Properly applied, these findings could lead to early prevention of increased stress in the workplace in the future.
Experiments have proven that stressed people type and move the mouse differently than relaxed people. "Stressed people move their mouse more frequently and less precisely, moving longer distances on the screen. In contrast, relaxed people took shorter, more direct routes to reach their (mouse click) destination." Negrin said.
In addition, people who feel stressed in the office make more mistakes when typing. They will type intermittently and with many short pauses. In contrast, people who are relaxed pause less, but longer, when typing on the keyboard.
"The link between stress and our typing and mouse behavior can be explained by the so-called neuromotor noise theory. Our brain's ability to process information is negatively affected by increased stress levels. This also affects our motor skills." explained psychologist Jessamyn Cole, who studied with Negrin and is a co-author of the study.
The researchers are now continuing to test the model they generated, using data from Swiss employees who have agreed to use an app that records mouse and keyboard behavior and heart data in their real workplace. The app will also periodically ask employees about their perceived stress levels. The results of the test are expected to be published by the end of this year.
The study was designed to help employees identify stress early and act accordingly. However, the methodology raises some tough questions. The researchers acknowledge that the data they collect is sensitive, adding that they are working with employees and ethicists to ensure responsible handling of the data. People will only accept and use our technology if we can guarantee anonymization and protect the data," Cole said. We want to help employees identify stress early on, not create a corporate monitoring tool."
Hongxing News reporter Wang Yalin intern reporter Deng Xuyi
Responsibility Editor Ren Zhijiang Editor Pan Li
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