Effectiveness of Stress Balls in Reducing the Physiological Symptoms of Stress

Abstract

The purpose of our study was to determine the effectiveness of stress balls in reducing the physiological symptoms of stress. We measured changes in heart rate, blood pressure, and skin conductance and compared the differences between an experimental group that received a stress ball (n=15) and a control group that did not receive a stress ball (n=15). Stress was induced by a two minute timed-test coupled with the anticipation of a second test. Baseline measurements were taken before the first test, as well as immediately following the first test, and after a relaxation period where the experimental group received a stress ball. Our results did not show a significant difference between the experimental and control groups for heart rate (p-value=0.188), systolic blood pressure (p-value=0.663), diastolic blood pressure (p-value=0.557), or galvanic skin response (p-value=0.258). Our results suggest that stress balls are not effective in reducing heart rate, blood pressure, or skin conductance following an episode of induced acute stress in college-aged individuals.