Analyzing Emotional Responses to Audio-Visual Stimuli through Heart Rate Variability Analysis

This study explores the utility of Heart Rate Variability (HRV) in discerning emotional responses to audiovisual stimuli. The conventional method for emotional state recognition involves Electroencephalography (EEG); however, the tedious nature of EEG signal acquisition has prompted the investigation into the more accessible Electrocardiography (ECG) and its potential to yield convenient results using HRV parameters. While HRV has shown associations with emotional processing, this research addresses HRV-based emotional state recognition—specifically, how audio-visual stimuli impact physiological stress levels, using different time domain, frequency domain, and non-linear parameters. Three genres of video – suspense, nature, and comedy videos were used. Results reveal that HRV can characterize individual responses to emotional content, and individual responses can vary significantly. Results the potential of HRV as a reliable tool for assessing emotional responses in varied contexts.