Relax and Think: Using Mobile Technology to Understand Emotion Regulation in STEM Related Academic Performance

• In Event: ICA Interactive Paper/Poster Session I
  In Interactive Poster Session: Information Systems Interactive Poster Session

Abstract

The goal of this experiment is to develop an initial understanding of how the mindful awareness and expression of one’s emotional state can help reduce academic stress, and whether this decrease can lead to better academic performance. A mobile app was created to encourage students report their emotions about the STEM related course right before class throughout entire quarter. Initial evidence suggests that as the quarter progressed, the arousing negative emotions were reported more often while the arousing positive emotions were reported less. At the midterm exam day, arousing negative emotions were also more prevalent compared to arousing positive emotions. The impact of these reports on academic performance will be assessed once the quarter ends.

Keywords: emotion awareness; emotion regulation; academic stress

Authors

• Narine S. Yegiyan, U of California, Davis

• Mingxuan Liu, University of California, Davis

• Bayan Mashat, U of California, Davis

• Davey Belliss, U of California, Davis