From Information to Experience: Exploring Users' Engagement with Different Stress Displays
Weiyun Wang, Scot Gilmour, Naral Chalermchaikosol, Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas, J J Wang, Xianghua Ding · 2026
With stress-tracking technologies becoming pervasive, a range of feedback displays has been explored to support engagement with stress data. However, most displays are studied in isolation, leaving limited understanding of how different forms of feedback shape engagement differently. This study compares three real-time stress feedback displays: screen-based quantitative, screen-based expressive, and physical expressive. Twenty-one participants took part in stress induction and recovery tasks to gain direct experience with each display, with data collected through surveys and semi-structured interviews. We found that different displays became associated with different modes of engagement: quantitative displays supported mobile, analytical use; screen-based expressive displays encouraged active monitoring; and physical expressive displays enabled peripheral awareness. We highlight the importance of balancing awareness with emotional experience, shaped by data representation and materiality. We challenge the assumption in personal informatics that more information or a more intuitive understanding is always beneficial, and offer a design framework for experiencing sensitive bio-signal feedback.