The BEACON group explores the intersection of cognitive psychology and pedagogy, focusing on how environmental stressors—particularly digital environments—affect memory and learning. It emphasizes the use of behavioral tools to manage these influences, with the goal of enabling new learning paradigms and helping youth navigate an increasingly pervasive virtual world. Key projects are listed below.
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1. Longitudinal study of perceived cortisol and stress responses in an undergraduate student population in India
1. Longitudinal study of perceived cortisol and stress responses in an undergraduate student population in India
Stress in young adults plays a critical role in personality development and significantly influences academic performance and skill acquisition. This is particularly evident during adolescence, especially in the transition from school to college, which involves substantial changes in social and academic environments. Despite its importance, longitudinal assessments of stress patterns in this population remain limited. In this first-of-its-kind study, we established a baseline by tracking stress among first-year residential undergraduate students in India using a repeated-measures design across six time points. The study assessed psychological parameters—including the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS14), Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), and positive mood measures—alongside physiological stress via salivary cortisol levels.
Results indicate significant sex differences: men exhibited lower salivary cortisol levels and a decline in perceived stress and distress over time, whereas women maintained consistent psychological stress levels but showed elevated cortisol levels by the end of the academic year. Academic pressure emerged as the primary reported stressor.
These findings highlight important sex-based differences in psychological and physiological stress responses and contribute valuable longitudinal data to the underrepresented Indian undergraduate community. Link to research article.
Snapshots of physical walking, VR walking and solving the programming task by volunteers. Photo credit: Ankit Sinha
2. Mind in Motion: Investigating how Walking in Physical and Virtual Environments Influence Programming Problem Solving
2. Mind in Motion: Investigating how Walking in Physical and Virtual Environments Influence Programming Problem Solving
This preliminary study done in collaboration with Dr. Prajish Prasad, Ankit Sinha (PhD scholar), and Dr. Rahul Kumar Ray tested whether physical exercise of walking helps students solve programming problems better by comparing no walking, physical walking, and virtual reality (VR) walking. It found that students performed best after real walking, producing more accurate code, while VR walking showed weaker and inconsistent benefits, sometimes even reducing performance. Both types of walking increased the time taken, suggesting more careful thinking. The key significance is that simple physical movement can meaningfully improve problem-solving and thinking clarity, whereas VR-based interventions may not provide the same cognitive benefits and need better design—highlighting important implications for education, learning strategies, and the use of immersive technologies. Link to the research article.
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