Problem Description

Discussions in remote meetings can become emotionally intense, especially during disagreements or decision-making under time pressure. In such situations, participants may experience elevated arousal – caused by stress, frustration, or tension – which can impair communication quality, reduce collaboration effectiveness, and escalate interpersonal dynamics.

Short breaks are a known strategy for supporting emotional regulation and regaining focus. However, current video conferencing systems do not respond to the emotional dynamics of meetings in real time. This raises the question: Can physiological arousal be used to inform timely break recommendations that help participants cool down and re-engage more constructively in remote meeting discussions?

Goal of Thesis

The goal of this Bachelor thesis is to design and implement a prototype that monitors arousal during remote meeting discussions and recommends breaks when arousal levels indicate emotionally tense or high-pressure moments.

The envisioned system should act as an extension to a video conferencing system and support participants in managing emotionally challenging phases of the discussion. The thesis will follow a Design Science Research approach and include:

1. A conceptual design for integrating arousal-based break recommendations into discussions in remote meetings, focusing on conflict-prone or emotionally charged moments.

2. A working prototype that processes physiological data (e.g., heart rate from recorded or simulated signals) and triggers break suggestions based on defined thresholds.

3. A qualitative user evaluation (e.g., user interviews) to assess how participants perceive the timing, usefulness, and appropriateness of break suggestions in remote meetings.

Requirements

• Experience with biosignals (especially ECG Data)
• Proficiency in web programming (e.g., HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python).
• Understanding of the Design Science Research methodology and ability to conduct user evaluations.
• Strong time management and communication skills and proficiency in English.