First Name:
Rachel
Last Name:
Ginder
Major Department:
Psychology and Studio Art
Thesis Director:
Jeana Klein
Date of Thesis:
May 2013
The present study examines the power of a play-based art space to reduce stress for a college student. The researcher hypothesized that the play-based art space would be equally or more effective at reducing the participant’s stress than biofeedback. Stress reduction was measured with blood pressure, heart rate, self-report questionnaires, and the participant’s score on the Cohen Perceived Stress Scale. In order to do this, the female participant spent five, uninterrupted half-hour sessions within the art space over the course of 2.5 weeks. This was then compared with the same participant’s change in stress level while participating in electromyographic progressive muscle relaxation biofeedback for the same amount of time. The results for this particular case support the hypotheses through reduced blood pressure and heart rate readings; the participant’s decrease in score on the Cohen Perceived Stress Scale; and the participant’s self-reports also reflect a comprehension that the art space may have been ultimately more successful over the short course of the study.