Recording Quantitative Data

Image Source

In order to obtain comparable data during the experiment, I needed to find a quantifiable way to assess anxiety levels. 

Biodata:

To gather comparable numbers, I plan to record the participants' heart rate and blood pressure before and after exposure to a VR environment. Both of these values are found to be possible indicators of stress, given that factors like strenuous activity aren't involved. I plan to use the photoplethysmogram on my phone for measuring heart rate variability, and an electronic blood pressure monitor for measuring blood pressure.

Questionnaire:

I also wanted to use a survey style that measured current anxiety levels, to get another layer of data. Since most of the valid questionnaires I found are meant for diagnosing anxiety, I decided to create my own Likert scale. In a Likert Scale, "respondents specify their level of agreement to a statement," and it is "the most widely used scale in survey research."

It's similar to the smiley-face pain ranking scale you
 sometimes see at the doctors' office (Image Source)

To make things much easier, I decided to use a one-question Likert scale. A study found in Internet Scientific Publications validated the effectiveness and accuracy of a one-question Likert scale in studies about anxiety.

Example of a one-question Likert scale (Image Source)

My research question is unipolar, meaning that it focuses on the absence or presence of one item, rather than a balance of two qualities; In my case, it was the degree of presence of stress/anxiety. Research suggests that a 5-point scale is best for obtaining accurate results with a unipolar research question, so that's what I did. Here is what my survey looks like:

Hopefully these methods will give me a simple yet effective way to measure the vague concept of anxiety. Check back next week for more progress!