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Upon being told to give an impromptu brief presentation and then count backwards in steps of 17 – before a group of unfamiliar people – the sudden tension was visible in my features.

The reason was that psychologists were recording this rather frightening situation for a investigation that is studying stress using infrared imaging.

Stress alters the blood distribution in the facial area, and experts have determined that the drop in temperature of a subject's face can be used as a measure of stress levels and to observe restoration.

Infrared technology, based on researcher findings behind the study could be a "revolutionary development" in stress research.

The Scientific Tension Assessment

The research anxiety evaluation that I underwent is precisely structured and intentionally created to be an unpleasant surprise. I visited the research facility with minimal awareness what I was about to experience.

To begin, I was told to settle, unwind and experience background static through a audio headset.

Up to this point, very peaceful.

Afterward, the scientist who was conducting the experiment brought in a trio of unknown individuals into the room. They all stared at me quietly as the investigator stated that I now had a brief period to create a five minute speech about my "dream job".

As I felt the warmth build around my throat, the scientists captured my face changing colour through their infrared device. My nasal area rapidly cooled in warmth – showing colder on the heat map – as I contemplated ways to navigate this unplanned presentation.

Research Findings

The scientists have performed this identical tension assessment on 29 volunteers. In every case, they saw their nose decrease in warmth by several degrees.

My nose dropped in warmth by a couple of degrees, as my physiological mechanism pushed blood flow away from my face and to my eyes and ears – a physical reaction to enable me to look and listen for hazards.

Nearly all volunteers, like me, returned to normal swiftly; their noses warmed to normal readings within a brief period.

Head scientist noted that being a reporter and broadcaster has probably made me "somewhat accustomed to being placed in anxiety-provoking circumstances".

"You're familiar with the camera and speaking to strangers, so you're likely somewhat resistant to public speaking anxieties," the scientist clarified.

"However, even individuals such as yourself, experienced in handling stressful situations, exhibits a physiological circulation change, so that suggests this 'nasal dip' is a reliable indicator of a changing stress state."

Tension Regulation Possibilities

Tension is inevitable. But this discovery, the experts claim, could be used to help manage damaging amounts of stress.

"The duration it takes a person to return to normal from this cooling effect could be an quantifiable indicator of how efficiently somebody regulates their stress," noted the lead researcher.

"If they bounce back unusually slowly, could this indicate a warning sign of anxiety or depression? Is this an aspect that we can address?"

Because this technique is without physical contact and monitors physiological changes, it could furthermore be beneficial to track anxiety in babies or in people who can't communicate.

The Mental Arithmetic Challenge

The following evaluation in my stress assessment was, from my perspective, more difficult than the opening task. I was told to calculate in reverse starting from 2023 in intervals of 17. Someone on the panel of three impassive strangers stopped me whenever I calculated incorrectly and instructed me to recommence.

I confess, I am bad at calculating mentally.

As I spent awkward duration striving to push my mind to execute subtraction, all I could think was that I wished to leave the growing uncomfortable space.

During the research, only one of the 29 volunteers for the stress test did genuinely request to exit. The others, comparable to my experience, finished their assignments – presumably feeling assorted amounts of embarrassment – and were compensated by an additional relaxation period of background static through audio devices at the conclusion.

Primate Study Extensions

Perhaps one of the most surprising aspects of the method is that, as heat-sensing technology measure a physical stress response that is innate in various monkey types, it can also be used in other species.

The investigators are actively working on its use in habitats for large monkeys, including chimpanzees and gorillas. They want to work out how to lower tension and enhance the welfare of primates that may have been rescued from harmful environments.

The team has already found that presenting mature chimps visual content of baby chimpanzees has a relaxing impact. When the scientists installed a video screen close to the rescued chimps' enclosure, they saw the noses of animals that watched the material heat up.

So, in terms of stress, watching baby animals engaging in activities is the contrary to a surprise job interview or an impromptu mathematical challenge.

Potential Uses

Employing infrared imaging in primate refuges could turn out to be beneficial in supporting protected primates to become comfortable to a unfamiliar collective and unknown territory.

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