<p>Anxiety and stress are very available states, and since you want to know how people currently <em>feel</em> (rather than some more implicit construct), you probably can't do much better than just asking them. A single-item anxiety measure as suggested by mlt should work.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-11T11:57:29.130Z
2015-03-11T11:57:29.130Z
adb
<p>What do you think about quick short-memory tests? It will measure distraction level and anxiety. Problem though is that first one must measure baseline rate of correct responses.
For example, play game <a href="http://www.web-games-online.com/memory/" rel="nofollow">memory</a> on 5x5 tile set.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-21T09:07:48.013Z
2015-02-21T09:07:48.013Z
aaaaa says reinstate Monica
<p>Just found out that the <a href="https://developer.apple.com/researchkit/researchkit-technical-overview.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">upcoming Apple Research Kit for iPhone</a> allows for some kinds of motor and touch activity monitoring. Maybe some of these can be re-purposed to collect data relevant to the original question. </p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/EwxSs.png" alt="enter image description here"></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-10T18:46:44.983Z
2015-03-10T18:46:44.983Z
Alex Stone
<p>I'm writing a simple iPhone relaxation app and am thinking of <strong>a very quick test I can do to learn something about the user's level of stress, anxiety, etc.</strong> The objective is to measure how effective the app is or to adjust the length of the session. </p>

<p>I thought of using the following measurement process:</p>

<ul>
<li>Ask the user to trace a line with their finger, prior to relaxation</li>
<li>Repeat the tracing process following relaxation</li>
<li>Analyze and compare results to the user's previous entry or historic entries for the same user</li>
</ul>

<p><strong>Does this approach have any merit or validity? What other simple and quick ways are there to gauge how relaxed or stressed the user is?</strong> </p>

<p>A mobile device, like iPhone has 3 axis accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, and a capacitive touchscreen that does not measure the pressure of a touch. </p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/cbGw1.png" alt="enter image description here"></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-21T02:10:20.543Z
I don't imagine that the line tracing task is a valid (or reliable) measure of stress or anxiety--and also it may not be sensitive enough to detect impairment in fine motor movements (which I assume is what you're trying to measure). You could always try to look for one-item anxiety or stress scales (e.g., http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0895435606003878).
mrt
<cognitive-psychology><experimental-psychology><stress>
How to quickly estimate the person's level of stress with a mobile based relaxation app?
Alex Stone
# How to quickly estimate the person's level of stress with a mobile based relaxation app?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-02-20)

I'm writing a simple iPhone relaxation app and am thinking of **a very quick test I can do to learn something about the user's level of stress, anxiety, etc.** The objective is to measure how effective the app is or to adjust the length of the session.

I thought of using the following measurement process:

* Ask the user to trace a line with their finger, prior to relaxation
* Repeat the tracing process following relaxation
* Analyze and compare results to the user's previous entry or historic entries for the same user

**Does this approach have any merit or validity? What other simple and quick ways are there to gauge how relaxed or stressed the user is?**

A mobile device, like iPhone has 3 axis accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, and a capacitive touchscreen that does not measure the pressure of a touch.

![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/cbGw1.png)

**Tags:** cognitive-psychology, experimental-psychology, stress

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I don't imagine that the line tracing task is a valid (or reliable) measure of stress or anxiety--and also it may not be sensitive enough to detect impairment in fine motor movements (which I assume is what you're trying to measure). You could always try to look for one-item anxiety or stress scales (e.g., http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0895435606003878).  

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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2015-03-11. Score: 3

Anxiety and stress are very available states, and since you want to know how people currently *feel* (rather than some more implicit construct), you probably can't do much better than just asking them. A single-item anxiety measure as suggested by mlt should work.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2015-02-21. Score: 1

What do you think about quick short-memory tests? It will measure distraction level and anxiety. Problem though is that first one must measure baseline rate of correct responses.
For example, play game [memory](http://www.web-games-online.com/memory/) on 5x5 tile set.


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### Answer by username_0 on 2015-03-10. Score: 0

Just found out that the [upcoming Apple Research Kit for iPhone](https://developer.apple.com/researchkit/researchkit-technical-overview.pdf) allows for some kinds of motor and touch activity monitoring. Maybe some of these can be re-purposed to collect data relevant to the original question.

![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/EwxSs.png)


---

