Abstract
In the present study we quantify stress by measuring transient perspiratory responses on the perinasal area through thermal imaging. These responses prove to be sympathetically driven and hence, a likely indicator of stress processes in the brain. Armed with the unobtrusive measurement methodology we developed, we were able to monitor stress responses in the context of surgical training, the quintessence of human dexterity. We show that in dexterous tasking under critical conditions, novices attempt to perform a task's step equally fast with experienced individuals. We further show that while fast behavior in experienced individuals is afforded by skill, fast behavior in novices is likely instigated by high stress levels, at the expense of accuracy. Humans avoid adjusting speed to skill and rather grow their skill to a predetermined speed level, likely defined by neurophysiological latency.
Recommended Citation
I. Pavlidis and P. Tsiamyrtzis and D. Shastri and A. Wesley and Y. Zhou and P. Lindner and P. Buddharaju and R. Joseph and A. Mandapati and B. Dunkin and B. Bass, "Fast by Nature-How Stress Patterns Define Human Experience and Performance in Dexterous Tasks," Scientific Reports, vol. 2, article no. 305, Nature Research, Apr 2012.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1038/srep00305
Department(s)
Engineering Management and Systems Engineering
Publication Status
Open Access
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
2045-2322
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Final Version
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2025 The Authors, All rights reserved.
Creative Commons Licensing
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Publication Date
19 Apr 2012
PubMed ID
22396852
Comments
National Science Foundation, Grant IIS-0812526