WHAT WE STUDY


Recently, the interest in mental health has increased more and more. Also, many researchers in different fields have subscribed to the view that emotion has a pivotal role in mental health.

Personal experience

I understand why emotional expression is different and how to express emotion differently. emotional expression can differ depending on personality, interlocutor, and situation. These factors may affect the way one expresses emotions: hiding or controlling emotions and revealing or sharing emotions with others. One of the interesting points in this assumption is that concealing emotions is one of the ways to display emotions. Another important aspect of emotional expression relates to social environments.

Emotion

Emotions are the valuable part of our lives. In daily life, we use terms of feelings, emotions, moods, and affections without distinction. However, in psychology, these terms are used differentially. It is hard to define such terms simply, but definitions are needed to distinguish them and comprehend more about emotions. This study will research more about emotion instead of feelings and moods because the intent of the research is to find a solution to improving emotional health.

Frameworks of emotion

There is a common point at which the eliciting event causes emotional changes. As studied, emotions accompany physiological, behavioral, and cognitive changes. Thus, this study assumes that the process of experiencing emotions may explain the circular process instead of the linear process. In other words, eliciting events affect emotional changes, which affect physiological, behavioral, and cognitive changes that affect daily life. Also, emotional changes may influence themselves on the new emotion. Thus, emotion is essential because of the infinitive circular process.

Written expression

Unlike emotional facial expressions, it is hard to express emotions immediately because writing about emotions or events causes emotional change that may require the cognitive process. When people find it difficult to express emotion, writing can be a good way to express and refresh emotions.

Impact of emotion

There is no doubt that positive emotions are also good motivation for further development. However, negative emotions can be the source of change among people. We will regard both negative and positive emotions together rather than as separate emotions.

Emotional well-being

We cannot feel only happy or satisfied with events every day. We also need to manage or modulate emotions to be emotionally healthy. Managing emotions would enable understanding one’s emotions, which would be accompanied by adequate expression. We focus on finding the proper solution to improve life quality though being emotionally healthy.

WHAT WE FIND


The results of expression of emotion by writing tool by survey

Less than 1 minute

to express their emotions

Drawings

to express their emotions

Black

to express their emotions

Complicated

The reason not to understand one’s emotions

Design and implementation


Cognitive self-reporting/Visual information/Private in public/Usability and portability

This study was set out from personal questions about human emotions and explored various issues related to emotions. This study has described the definition of emotion, expression and understanding of emotions, and impacts of emotions through review of previous researches. This study has also shown different methods to find user’s needs and solvable problems: hypothetical user scenarios, observation, survey. Theoretical research and user research reasoned out a solution that proper understanding and expressing emotions are a way to improve emotional health in daily life. Also, design concepts developed and evaluated under three subjects: easy visual interaction, private use in public, and usability and portability. Intriguing activities of this study were various experimental explorations to consider the feasibility of the final design such as connecting different sensors to measure the emotional state, playing with diverse shapes and forms, and making mockup model. Thus, this study suggested 414PEN, digital expression device and mobile application, as a final design that helps people to express emotions and to check their emotional status easily. This study had some limits in technical implementation to execute a program with sensors and absence of a clinical trial to prove a practical effect. While experimenting a prototype designed and programmed by technical research, there are difficulties to collect accurate and integrated data.

Moreover, the lack of analysis of the trial version and psychological therapists is a weak point of this study. Offering the opportunity to receive counselling through an online connection with recorded data from 414PEN is recommended for further investigations to better understand and validate the efficacy of this study. For the next step, online connection with psychological therapists are recommended and the recorded results and collected data should be sent to them. Notwithstanding these limitations, this study proposes a new method for understanding and expressing emotions by personal device and application. This suggestion can be an opportunity to engage people’s attention toward their emotional health. This study has raised a fruitful approach to apply new digital features to familiar analogue objects. The emotional expression device looks like a common writing tool in appearance and usage, but it has unique functions to measure emotional states and to record writing or drawing. The mobile application records emotional states and data can be collected from the device as though a child were writing in their diary every day. The core objective of this study was to describe the final design process to integrate and reinforce knowledge and information in the various area. This study suggests innovative and cohesive approaches to design to contribute to a better life.

414PEN


Emotional expression device and mobile application

with UserExpressing

Behavioral and written expression of emotion/ Turn on by touching or writing/Record movement and collect data

BlinkingUnderstanding emotion

Different frequency of blinking of light to notice emotional state immediately

ApplicationUnderstanding emotion

Different color and waves for self-reporting
User can see result of writing or drawing

RecallRegulating emotion

Recommends picture or music/User can save and review results

EXAMPLES of Emotional Expression


We collected wonderful results of emotional expression during survey.

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Get In Touch


Contact Information

14, Hyoryeong-ro 77-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
morethanpen@gmail.com

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