Authors:
Frans van der Sluis
1
;
Egon L. van den Broek
1
and
Ton Dijkstra
2
Affiliations:
1
University of Twente, Netherlands
;
2
Radboud University, Netherlands
Keyword(s):
Stress, Psychiatry, Diagnosis, Speech, Agent, Model.
Related
Ontology
Subjects/Areas/Topics:
Affective Computing
;
Biomedical Engineering
;
Clinical Problems and Applications
;
Decision Support Systems
;
Development of Assistive Technology
;
Health Information Systems
;
Therapeutic Systems and Technologies
Abstract:
The measurement of (excessive) stress is still a challenging endeavor. Most tools rely on either introspection or expert opinion and are, therefore, often less reliable or a burden on the patient. An objective method could relieve these problems and, consequently, assist diagnostics. Speech was considered an excellent candidate for an objective, unobtrusive measure of emotion. True stress was successfully induced, using two storytelling sessions performed by 25 patients suffering from a stress disorder. When reading either a happy or a sad story, different stress levels were reported using the Subjective Unit of Distress (SUD). A linear regression model
consisting of the high-frequency energy, pitch, and zero crossings of the speech signal was able to explain 70% of the variance in the subjectively reported stress. The results demonstrate the feasibility of an objective measurement of stress in speech. As such, the foundation for an Artificial Therapeutic Agent is laid, capable of as
sisting therapists through an objective measurement of experienced stress.
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