Psychophysiology

How do psychological processes affect us physically?
The psychophysiology facility provides an opportunity to measure various physical reactions to psychological processes. One experiment, for example, investigated whether the test subjects’ pulse or eye activity changed when they performed problem-solving tasks in different coloured environments. In occupational safety and health, such measurements can be used, for instance, to back up subjective assessments of psychological stress at the workplace and to examine the strain experienced by workers from a different perspective.

The facility has measuring devices for fixed-location and mobile applications. All of the measurements are non-invasive: adhesive electrode pads are used to measure reactions on the body’s surface. It’s also possible to perform multiple measurements simultaneously in order to ascertain whether a particular psychological stress factor only affects certain physical functions.

Facility resources

• Devices for measuring various physical functions (heart rate, muscle activity, skin conductance, respiratory activity, etc.)
• Computer and equipment for performing tasks

Topics covered

• Stress and strain at the workplace
• Health promotion
• Perception and irritability