The role of media in supporting a stress management protocol: An experimental study

Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology – ATN-P Lab. (Italy) Stress management (SM) is a term widely used with a seemingly obvious meaning but it is not clear how many different forms of SM exist and how efficacious they are according to the target problem. Stress is a multidimensional condition and we believe that it requires a wide-spectrum approach. We consider that a combination of stress management techniques can produce more significant outcomes than did single-strategy programs. For this reason we propose an integration of three approaches to cope with stress and improve emotional management from different points of view: the Emotion Focused Therapy; the Behavioral Therapy, and in particular Relaxation; the Rational Emotive Therapy. In particular, we decided to use two mediated experiences – audio and immersive 3D video to support the Relaxation phase. The critical role in mediated experiences is played by the sense of presence that allows the experience to evoke the same perceptual reactions and emotions as a real one. To verify the efficacy of the SM protocol we carried out a controlled trial, comparing an experimental Video group, an Audio group (that only listened to the relaxing narrative), and a control group without treatment. Results showed the efficacy of integrating different approaches to cope with stress and suggested the importance of the sense of presence as a mediating variable between the experience and the efficacy of the relaxation process. THE ROLE OF MEDIA IN SUPPORTING A STRESS MANAGEMENT PROTOCOL: AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

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