• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.13-22
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• 1998

The sense of touch has both objective and subjective characteristics. During hand evaluation of the fabrics. psycho physiological processes such as emotion and stimulation. On other site, the mode of touch (passive vs. active) is also capable to modulate somatosensory responses. I.e., suppress somatocensory perception during active electrocortical responses to passive and active touch of the textiles with different subjective emotional preference. The study was carried out on 36 female college students. Physiological signals were acquired by Grass and BIOPAC 100 systems with AcqKnowledge variables, namely heart rate (HR), respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), pulse transit time (PTT), respiration rate (RSP) and skin conductance parameters (SCL, amplitude, risetime and number of SCRs) were analyzed for baseline and stimulation conditions. Analysis was manifested in a form of moderate HR acceleration. RSP increase, RSA decrease (lowered vagal tone), decreased PTT and increased electrodermal activity (increased SCL, several SCRs) that reflects general sympathetic activation. Parietal EEG effects (on contra-lateral side to stimulated hand)were featured by short-term alpha-blocking, slightly reduced theta, significantly increased delta and enhanced fast beta activity with few variations across stimuli. The main finding of the study was that most and least preferred textures exhibited significant differences in autonomic (HR, RSP, PTT, SCR, and at less extent in RSA and SCL) and electrocortical responses (delta, slow and fast alpha, fast beta relative power). These differences were recorded both in passive and active stimulation modes, thus demonstrating reproducibility of distinction between most and least emotionally preferred tactile stimuli, suggesting influence of psychological factors, such as emotional property of stimulus, on physiological outcome.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Emotion and Sensibility Conference
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• 2001.05a
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• pp.225-230
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• 2001

Intensity of background noise is a factor significantly affecting both subjective evaluation of experienced stress level and associated electroencephalographic (EEG) responses during mental load in noisy environments. In the study on 27 subjects we analyzed the influence of the background white noise (WN) intensity on psychophysiological responses during a word recognition test. Electrocortical activity were recorded during baseline resting state and 40 s long performance on 3 similar Korean word recognition tests with different intensities of background WN (55, 70 and 85 dB).. An important finding in terms of physiological reactivity was similarity of all physiological response profiles between 55 and 70dB WN, i.e., none of physiological variables differentiated the two conditions, while 85dB WN resulted in a significantly different profile of reactions (higher fast beta power in EEG spectra). This condition was characterized by highest subjective rating of experienced stress, had more fast beta activity and had tendency of right hemisphere dominance, emphasizing the role of brain lateralization in negative affect control.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.79-84
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• 2009

Objectives: Chronic pain is one of the most common experiences of humans and a typical psychophysiological disorder. The aim of this study was to measure the psychophysiological responses in chronic pain patients using a biofeedback system, and to compare them with the results from normal healthy subjects. Methods: Forty two patients with chronic pain (17 males and 25 females, average age $44.67{\pm}11.10$ years) and 42 normal healthy controls (17 males and 25 females, average age $45.17{\pm}10.46$ years) participated in this study. Electromyography (EMG), skin conductance (SC), and skin temperature (ST) were recorded using biofeedback system during the 3 phases (baseline, stress, and recovery) of stress reactivity test, and average values of them were calculated. Difference of values between two groups in each corresponding phase was analyzed with independent t-test, and change of values across phases of stress reactivity test was analyzed with paired t-test (all two-tailed, p<0.05). Results: Compared to normal controls, chronic pain patients had higher value of EMG (baseline: $8.10{\pm}5.97{\mu}V$ vs $4.72{\pm}1.52{\mu}V$, t=-3.56, p<0.01; stress: $11.25{\pm}6.89{\mu}V$ vs $8.49{\pm}4.78{\mu}V$, t=-2.13, p<0.05; recovery: $7.12{\pm}3.77{\mu}V$ vs $4.78{\pm}1.59{\mu}V$, t=-3.70, p<0.01) and SC (baseline: $1.06{\pm}1.0{\mu}S$ vs $0.42{\pm}0.29{\mu}S$, t=-4.0. p<0.01; stress: $1.87{\pm}2.05{\mu}S$ vs $1.03{\pm}0.86{\mu}S$, t=-2.47, p<0.05; recovery: $1.74{\pm}1.77{\mu}S$ vs $0.64{\pm}0.59{\mu}S$, t=-3.8, p<0.01) in all the 3 phases. But, skin temperature comparison did not reveal significant differences in all the 3 phases between two groups. Conclusion: Psychophysiological responses of chronic pain patients in stress reactivity test were different from those of normal healthy controls. These results suggest that sympathetic nervous system is more activated in chronic pain patients.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Emotion and Sensibility Conference
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• 1998.04a
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• pp.63-69
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• 1998

Korean constitutional type(Sasang Chejil) was considered with anxiety level and personality type in order variability frequently encountered in EEG research. Sasang Chejil type seems a very important factor to be controled to minimize the variabilty since Sasang Cheji subgroups showed distinct differences in EEG relative power ao more recording sites and frequency bands than the subgroups of anxiety level and personality type, well-reconized variability-contribution factors. It is likely that Tae-Eum Chejil type is predispositioned to be more relaxed and feel happier and less unhappy than So-Yang type since the former showed greater alpha relative powers and left-hemisphere activations at both of the resting and emotional states.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.79-88
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• 2001

The objectives of this study were to investigate the relationship of sound parameters with subjective sensation and physiological responses, and to figure out the interrelationship between the subjective sensation and physiological responses. Sound parameters calculated were LPT, ΔL, Δf, loudness[Z], and sharpness[Z]. Subjective sensation was evaluated in 7 aspects(soft-hard, loud-quiet, pleasant-unpleasant, sharp-dull, clear-obscure, rough-smooth, high-low) by thirty participants. We acquired physiological responses when each fabric sound was presented to 10 participants. Physiological signals obtained in this study were electroencephalogram(EEG), pulse volume(PV), skin conductance level(SCL), and LF/HF of heart rate variability. The larger the values of loudness[Z] and LPT, the louder and the rougher the subjective sensation of the perceived fabric sound. Also, the larger the values of loudness[Z] and LPT, the harder, the duller, and the less pleasant. As LPT increased, PV decreased. Loudness[Z] increased in proportion to SCL and so did sharpness[Z] to LF/HF. As the sound perceived to be quieter and clearer, the relative power of slow alpha rose. As the sound perceived to be more pleasant and smoother, PV rose.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Emotion and Sensibility Conference
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• 1999.11a
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• pp.216-221
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• 1999

A mental task combined with noise background is an effective model of laboratory stress for study of psychophysiology of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The intensity of the background noise significantly affects both a subjective evaluation of experienced stress level during test and the physiological responses associated with mental load in noisy environments. Providing tests of similar difficulties we manipulated the background noise intensity as a main factor influencing a psychophysiological outcome and the analyzed reactivity along withe the noise intensity dimension. The goal of this study was to identify the patterns of ANS responses and the relevant subjective stress scores during performance of word recognition tasks on the background of white noise (WN) of the different intensities (55, 70 and 85 dB). Subjects were 27 college students (19-24 years old). BIOPAC, Grass Neurodata System and AcqKnowlwdge 3.5 software were used to record ECG, PPG, SCL, skin temperature, and respiration. Experimental manipulations were effective in producing subjective and physiological responses usually associated with stress. The results suggested that the following potential autonomic mechanisms might be involved in the mediation of the observed physiological responses: A sympathetic activation with parasympathetic withdrawal during mild 55 and 70dB noise (featured by similar profiles) and simultaneous activation of sympathetic and parasympathetic systems during intense 85dB WN. The parasympathetic activation in this case might be a compensatory effect directed to prevent sympathetic domination and to maintain optimal arousal state for the successful performance on mental stress task. It should be mentioned that obtained results partially support Gellhorn's (1960; 1970) "tuning phenomenon" as a possible mechanism underlying stress response.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.104-109
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• 2007

Objective : In the present study, we evaluated the differences between the skin electric conductance of patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and normal controls in order to determine the possibility of using skin electric conductance as a diagnostic measure. Method : The PTSD group included 14 subjects who were diagnosed with PTSD in St. Mary's Hospital after a motor vehicle accident, and the normal control group included 12 healthy subjects. The conductivity and capacitance of both groups were measured twice, and the data from each group was compared. Results : There was no significant difference in gender, but the patients in the PTSD group were significantly older than those in normal control group. The activity (conductivity) between the left head-left hand, right hand-right head, and right head-left head was significantly elevated in the PTSD group as compared with the normal control group. In addition, the reactivity (capacitance) between the right head-left head, left head-left hand, right hand-left hand, right hand-right foot, right foot-left foot, and left foot-left hand was significantly elevated in the PTSD group. Conclusion : In this study, the skin electric conductance of the patients with PTSD was significantly elevated in comparison with that of the healthy subjects. Although there were some limitations of this study, the results of this study suggested that skin electric conductance can be used to evaluate elevated psychophysiological responses in patients with PTSD. Future studies with more subjects and more structure are needed in order to confirm our results.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.13-20
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• 2003

In an experimental study, we assessed human sensibility in terms of psychophysiological response according to change of speeds (40, 70, 100km/h) in a driving simulator and application of motion fitters (washout filter, non-washout later) in a roller coaster simulator. For the driving and roller coaster simulators, a group of 12 healthy men in their twenties and a group of 8 healthy men in their twenties, respectively, participated. Participants each completed a simulator sickness questionnaire (SSQ), a subjective assessment of sensations of pleasantness, tension, and arousal, and perception of speed. Physiological signals were measured by 1/f fluctuation of EEG (electroencephalogram), ECG (electrocardiogram), and GSR (galvanic skin response). These were measured pre-to-post under the experimental conditions for each simulator. Subjective pleasantness, tension, arousal, and perception of speed and physiological responses indicating a feeling of pleasantness by 1/f fluctuation were higher for the roller coaster simulator than those measured for low speed driving in the driving simulator. The mean frequency of alpha band (8-l3㎐) in EEG increased with exposure to the driving simulator relative to that for the roller coaster simulator. Heart rate variability and GSR were significantly changed between pre- and post- under each condition in the driving and roller coaster simulators. The data suggest that subjective sensibility was elevated according to gain of speed and variety of simulator motion, and physiological responses were activated with increased speed.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.205-214
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• 2009

This paper addresses analyzing affective color data for emotional interior design. Both the physical and psychological patterns for spatial colors were tested on thirty subjects, of which fifteen were male. All subjects participated in both the physiological and psychological experiments. The data on the reflecting subjects' affective moods is gathered through EEG physical experiments and SD (Semantic Differential Scale) method surveys. This research has suggested the relation of both experiments through affective color response. The methods of SPSS 10.0 and TeleScan Version 2 are used for analyzing response data to coordinate the colour palette with changeable moods. From the analysis of statistical data, all of the visual stimuli related emotional keywords and physiological responses. Finally, the initial goal of this research is to construct an affective colour database that is tested through human color perception by physical and psychological experiments.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.91-102
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• 1998

History of the Sensibility Ergonomics is explained. Concepts, definition, and research methods on the human sensibility are proposed for systematic applications of human sensibility studies to product and environment developments. Sensibility Ergonomics was born in socio-technological environments where consumers required aesthetic and satisfactory products in addition to useful and usable ones, and manufactures were trying to develop consumer-oriented, user-friendly products. Sensibility Ergonomics is defined as "multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary processes for developing products and environment as usable, comfortable and satisfactory with the information on human sensibility." Human sensibility is functionally defined as "feelings generated when perceived sensory and information stimuli are reflected from memory which has been accumulated through personal experiences." Human sensibility is affected by at least three factors: personal, social, and cultural. Consumers evaluate products in three aspects : functional, sensorial, and cultural sensibilities. Human sensibility is personal, dynamic, and ambiguous. It is generated reflectively and intuitively against external stimuli. No Physiological responses are accompanied, and one cannot control his/her sensibility. However, the sensibility affects the decision making or behavior of the person. To understand the human sensibility many inter-disciplinary methods should be used instead of one-variable approach. Micro-scopic studies such as Questionnaire, interview, behavioral analysis, and psychophysiological experiments can be performed. In addition, social and cultural studies are essential to understand an individual's sensibility. Results of sensibility studies can be applied to setup new interactions between human and machine through sensible(or affective) human-machine (computer) interfaces. Human-oriented and user-friendly products can be made with the information on human sensibility.