CERENE
Improving Emotional Wellness
A Project & Experiment for HSE 542 by:
Kofi Obo Wood
Austin Silva
The Problem We Are Addressing:
International students at Arizona State University often experience heightened stress and feelings of being overwhelmed due to the multitude of adjustments, academic demands, and the challenges of adapting to a new life. This emotional burden can result in unhappiness, elevated stress levels, and, in some instances, contribute to feelings of depression affecting their overall well-being.
Impact
A Global Issue
Globally, emotional wellness issues such as depression and anxiety affect a vast number of individuals. According to the World Health Organization, over 264 million people suffer from depression, contributing significantly to the global disease burden. Additionally, anxiety disorders are prevalent, affecting about 284 million people worldwide, making them the most common mental health disorders. These statistics highlight the critical need for integrating mental health into public health agendas to enhance quality of life and overall societal productivity.
Literature Review and Previous Research
A study conducted by Russsell et al (2010) involving 900 international students attending colleges in the US showed that 41% of these students experienced substantial levels of stress in their first year.
While schools teach and, to a degree, simulate real-world scenarios for students, they also introduce---maybe unintentionally--another real-world experience. And, that is student stress.
The main reason is that college life imposes numerous adjustments for students leading to increased levels of stress (Bennion et al., 2018).
Researchers in the article below found that having at least one conversation with a friend can increase happiness and lower stress levels by the end of each day.
Hall, J. A., Holmstrom, A. J., Pennington, N., Perrault, E. K., & Totzkay, D. (2023). Quality Conversation Can Increase Daily Well-Being. Communication Research, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/00936502221139363
Why Cerene
Emotional Wellness is a big issue for international students.
Impactful for friends and classmates.
Co-lead Investigator is an international student.
A wholistic approach that applied all Human Systems Engineering (HSE) and Human Centered Design (HCD) principles.
The Hypothesis
Using an AI-powered emotional wellness app leads to improvements in emotional and mental wellness through interactive natural language conversation.
Pre-experiment Preparation and Activities
Survey: We Established a baseline through a Survey
Data Collection: from a cross-sectional survey targeting ASU students across various disciplines.
Goal: to capture a snapshot of their current emotional state and available support mechanisms.
Measurements:
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Emotional state (Happiness, Stress, Anxiety, Excitement) on a Likert scale
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Current study-life balance rating
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Availability and utilization of emotional support resources
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Current stress management practices
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Frequency of using smartphone apps for well-being
Participants:
Total number of respondents: 18
Age range: Majority between 23-26 years
Gender distribution: Predominantly male (83.3%) with female and non-binary representation
Academic standing: Largely first-year graduate students (83.3%)
Nationality: across 9 different countries
Snapshots of Data Collected
Meet: Cerene
An innovative mobile application developed to support the emotional wellness of international students through interactive natural language chat powered by AI.
01
Natural Language Chat
Engage effortlessly with Cerene through our intuitive natural language chat interface. It understands and responds to your inputs just like a human, offering seamless interaction and support
03
Mood tracking
Track your mood swings and emotional trends with our easy-to-use mood tracking feature. By logging your emotions, you can observe patterns and triggers, helping you manage your emotional health more effectively.
02
Wellness check
Stay on top of your health with regular wellness checks. These quick, interactive assessments help monitor your emotional and mental well-being, providing insights and recommendations tailored to your needs.
04
Human Centered Design
Cerene is crafted with a human-centered approach, ensuring that every aspect of the interface is user-friendly, accessible, and beneficial for everyday emotional wellness management. Our design prioritizes your comfort and ease of use.
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Available on GooglePlay
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Our Experimental Approach:
The Two Cerene Apps
AI -Version
(Uses Natural language chatbot)
For main experiment group
Non-AI Version
(Uses helpful video recommendation)
For control experiment group
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Cerene in action!!
Designed the same BUT with one main differentiator: AI
AI -Version
(Uses Natural language chatbot)
For main experiment group
Non-AI Version
(Uses helpful video recommendation)
For control experiment group
Tech Stack Used
After 42 days of research, product design, development & testing.
We launched our app on GooglePlay.
And then undertook: an Experiment Over 8-Days
An intervention that included six international students per group, encompassing various age groups, gender identities, and countries of origin. Predominantly, participants were in the 23-26 age range and identified as male.
A diverse cross-section of fields of study was represented, with a majority in their first year of graduate study. This demographic diversity provides a robust basis for assessing the app across different user profiles.
Methodology Overview
Design: 2x8 mixed-methods experiment.
Duration: 8 days
Participants: 12 international college students in the U.S.
Main group: 6 students
Control group: 6 students
Independent Variables
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App Version: AI chatbot-integrated Cerene app vs. Non-AI Cerene app with video content.
Dependent Variables
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Emotional Wellness: Changes in self-reported emotional state and stress levels.
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Engagement: Likelihood of continued use of the app post-trial.
Measurement
-
Emotional wellness measured through pre and post-intervention surveys.
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Engagement assessed through a follow-up questionnaire on intended future use.
Post-Intervention Data Collected
AI -Version
(Uses Natural language chatbot)
Non-AI Version
(Uses helpful video recommendation)
Post Experiment Data: Insights & Interpretation
1
Behavioral and Mood Changes
83.3% of AI chatbot group reported 'Some improvement' in mood or stress levels.
Indicates positive behavioral adaptation.
System adequately supports users' psychological needs.
2
Stress Management Efficacy
Majority agreed Cerene helped them manage stress better.
No participants disagreed.
Integration of AI chatbot can effectively augment traditional stress management techniques.
3
User Expereince Evalutation
Half of participants rated user experience as 'Good.'
Other half rated it as 'Excellent'
Indicates strong acceptance of app’s interface and interaction design.
Ensures interfaces are intuitive and meet users' expectations.
4
Emotional Wellness Impact
66.7% found daily use of AI chatbot Cerene somewhat beneficial
33.3% rated it significantly beneficial for emotional wellness
For video version, 66.7% found it neutral to not very helpful
Preference shown towards interactive, conversational support over passive content consumption
Indicates clear trend towards active engagement with AI for emotional support
AI solution verses Non-AI solution: A Technical Comparison using T-Test
T-Test Results Visualized
Results & Discussion
Based on the p-values, we observe statistically significant differences in emotional wellness responses between the two groups.
The main test group (AI version with chatbot) seems to have benefited more in terms of stress management and mood improvement
Conclusion
The Cerene app, with its AI chatbot, appears to effectively address the emotional needs of users by use of a natural language chat interactions.
Hence our hypothesis was valid within the limitations and considerations of this project and experiment.
Meet the Team
Privacy and Ethical Considerations Taken
To ensure data protection, the anonymity of participants and the privacy of our users we utilized the following:
Acknowledgments
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All experiment participants
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Dr. Heejin Jeong
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Mr. Kwame Fosu
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God Almighty
GET IN TOUCH
Reach Out to US about Cerene
Connect with us to learn more about how Cerene can support your emotional wellness as a student.