Stress Management App Efficacy: The Impact on Negative and Positive Affect Do various stress management apps effect negative and positive affect differently? The present study consisted of a randomized comparative efficacy trial, which aimed to unveil whether three stress management applications differed in their impact on negative and positive affect. Participants completed a pre-test assessment of their experiences of various negative and positive affects. The pre-test assessment also included measures of other potential confounds, namely Type A personality and loneliness. Using stratified random sampling, an equal number of students were assigned to one of three stress management apps, specifically Rest & Relax Guided Meditations (App 1),
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Control groups could not be employed due to the study design; however, we believed that stratified random sampling could reduce confounds instead, causing group equivalence. We contended that there would be a difference in efficacy among the three apps. ANOVAs revealed no statistically significant differences among group means, and thus our findings did not support our …show more content…
Consequently, no differences could be detected among groups, as a lack of app use led to stagnant affect scores. It is also possible that participants used the app for less than 15 minutes per day, or used the app for 15 minutes total over the day, but not consecutively, thus altering the results. Finally, it is possible that using the app more than 15 minutes per day, or a longer trial period, is necessary in order to see a change affect. Future research could therefore benefit from designing programs that administer surveys only after a designated amount of time; thus, only the people who finish their stress management session are able to take the survey. Additionally, sending daily e-mail reminders to use the app could increase compliance with the study protocol. Future research could also test for different results for longer periods of daily use as well as extended trial durations. In doing so, researchers can uncover stress management apps that produce the desired effect, apps that do not create the desired effect, and consequently aid in management of stress, leading to a psychologically healthier
Control groups could not be employed due to the study design; however, we believed that stratified random sampling could reduce confounds instead, causing group equivalence. We contended that there would be a difference in efficacy among the three apps. ANOVAs revealed no statistically significant differences among group means, and thus our findings did not support our …show more content…
Consequently, no differences could be detected among groups, as a lack of app use led to stagnant affect scores. It is also possible that participants used the app for less than 15 minutes per day, or used the app for 15 minutes total over the day, but not consecutively, thus altering the results. Finally, it is possible that using the app more than 15 minutes per day, or a longer trial period, is necessary in order to see a change affect. Future research could therefore benefit from designing programs that administer surveys only after a designated amount of time; thus, only the people who finish their stress management session are able to take the survey. Additionally, sending daily e-mail reminders to use the app could increase compliance with the study protocol. Future research could also test for different results for longer periods of daily use as well as extended trial durations. In doing so, researchers can uncover stress management apps that produce the desired effect, apps that do not create the desired effect, and consequently aid in management of stress, leading to a psychologically healthier