Digital Health – PsychoSense

The Digital Health – PsychoSense research group aims to explore the potential of digital technologies in psychological research to better understand human psychology and behavior. Many psychological research areas still rely on “traditional” methods, such as laboratory protocols or the collection of self-reports or obtrusive, often invasive biomarkers which lack of digital solutions and might limit the advancements of these areas. Thus, our goal is to tackle this issue by working at the intersection of technology, health, and psychology. The research projects of our group include the development of mobile apps, wearable and contactless sensing paradigms, machine learning algorithms, or other digital platforms that can assist in the assessment, induction, or intervention of various psychological states. We also explore the use of virtual reality, biofeedback, and other novel technologies for enhancing emotional regulation, stress management, or cognitive performance.

In addition, we are strong advocates for open science and adopt a range of open science practices in our research. We want our research to be reproduced, built upon, and used in final applications. Thus, we develop and publish open-source software frameworks (for example, have a look here, here, or here) that enable other researchers to actually use our work to facilitate and advance their own research. Additionally, we also make our datasets and corresponding analyses available, aiming to help promote scientific rigor, reduce the risk of bias, and enable others to build on our group’s work. By embracing the principles of open science, our research group is contributing to a broader movement within the scientific community that seeks to promote greater transparency and accountability in research, while also promoting collaboration and innovation in scientific research.

Group Head

Robert Richer, M. Sc.

Room: Room 01.026

 

Group Members

 

Our Students

Current Students

Jana Reinwald

Master's Thesis

Triggering an endocrine stress response in the Virtual Reality Stroop Room through social-evaluative stress

Sebastian Stühler

Bachelor's Thesis

Investigation of the Pre-Ejection Period as a Marker for Sympathetic Activity during Acute Psychosocial Stress

Ulla Sternemann

Master's Thesis

Extraction of Pre-Ejection Period as Marker for Acute Psychosocial Stress from Wearable Sensors and Interferometry Radar

Past Students

  • Benjamin Zenke
    stress+ – Development and Evaluation of a Web Application for Remote,
    Internet-based Induction of Acute Psychosocial Stress
  • Daniel Krauß
    Benchmarking of Sleep/Wake Detection Algorithms using Wearable Sensors and Machine Learning
  • Luca Abel
    Machine Learning-Based Detection of Acute Psychosocial Stress from Dynamic Movements
  • Paula Kaiser
    Influence of Social-Evaluative Stress in the Virtual Reality Stroop Room
  • Philipp Dörfler
    Comparison of Algorithms for Respiratory Information Extraction from Wearable Sensors
  • Veronika Koch
    Influence of Acute Psychosocial Stress on Body Posture and Movement

 

Projects