Date Approved

5-12-2026

Graduate Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Engineering (M.S.E.)

Degree Program

School of Engineering

First Advisor

Dr. Samhita Rhodes

Second Advisor

Dr. John Farris

Third Advisor

Dr. David Zeitler

Fourth Advisor

Dr. Glenn Valdez

Academic Year

2025/2026

Abstract

Anxiety is the body’s response to detected danger or stress. Physiological responses include shallow breathing, increased heart rate, sweating, shaking, and muscle tension. Roughly 33.7% of the population experiences anxiety, with approximately 40 million adults in the United States being affected by the disorder. Anxiety can create severe personal, social, and economic burdens. Traditional treatments of anxiety disorders such as medication and psychotherapy can be effective, but present multiple barriers such as cost, accessibility, and side effects. As a result, there is a growing industry for non-invasive, low-cost solutions that can help individuals regulate their physiological anxiety responses and reduce the debilitating effects of anxiety. Evoking gentle tactile stimulation has emerged as a possible solution for influencing the autonomic nervous system activity and promoting relaxation.

This thesis investigates the effectiveness of four tactile stimuli, including vibration, cooling, massage, and textured material, at reducing physiological symptoms of anxiety. A custom, wearable haptic glove was designed to deliver the stimuli while monitoring heart rate and skin conductance during a controlled laboratory experiment. The participants completed an anxiety-inducing simple computational activity, followed by recovery periods during which one of the tactile stimuli was applied. Physiological responses were recorded using an electrocardiogram and skin conductance sensors.

Statistical analysis was performed using mixed-effects models to evaluate changes in different heart rate characteristics and skin conductance during the recovery periods. The results indicated that there were significant differences in heart rate and heart rate variability between the four stimuli, suggesting that the type of tactile stimulation influences autonomic nervous system recovery after stress induction. For most participants, all four stimuli reduced heart rate and increased heart rate variability during the recovery periods. Graphical analysis of the skin conductance recovery showed that stimuli significantly reduced skin conductance compared to the control period. Massage was seen to produce the largest reduction in both heart rate, RR interval, and skin conductance, being significantly more effective at reducing skin conductance than the cooling stimulus. Overall, the massage stimulus showed the strongest physiological calming effects across both the heart rate and skin conductance metrics.

These conclusions suggest that tactile stimulation administered through wearable devices may be a promising, non-invasive, low-cost alternative to current solutions in reducing physiological anxiety symptoms. This pilot study contributes to the growing field of anxiety management, and provides insight into which tactile stimulus may be most effective for future device development.

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