Mental arithmetic really stresses me out and science has proved it
1 hour ago Share Save Victoria Gill Science correspondent, BBC News Share Save
Watch Science Correspondent Victoria Gill put herself through a thermal imaging stress test
When I was asked to give an impromptu five-minute speech and then to count backwards in intervals of 17 - all in front of a panel of three strangers - the acute stress was written on my face. That is because psychologists from the University of Sussex were filming this somewhat terrifying experience for a research project that is studying stress using thermal cameras. Stress alters the blood flow in the face, and scientists have discovered that the drop in temperature of a person's nose can be used as a measure of stress levels, and to monitor recovery. Thermal imaging, according to the psychologists behind the study could be a "game changer" in stress research.
Kevin Church/BB
Continue Reading on BBC News
This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.