How emotions influence our decisions?
In the joint research project
SCORES – Sustainable Choices in Online and Real-world Economic Stress, researchers investigate how emotions influence everyday purchasing decisions.
By combining
experience sampling with
physiological measurement the project provides new insights into emotional regulation in sustainable consumption.
Background / Challenge
Sustainability doesn’t end with the product – it begins in the mind.
But how do people make sustainable decisions when they are emotionally strained, for example during stressful online shopping situations?
Until now, research has faced the challenge of capturing
real-life decision-making with ecological validity, real-life decision-making with ecological validity,
The Joint Project SCORES
Title: Sustainable Choices in Online and Real-world Economic Stress: Enhancing Emotional Regulation
Duration: January 2025 – December 2026
Project Leads:
• Philipps University of Marburg – Prof. Dr. Dr. Martin Peper
• Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) – PD Dr. Dipl.-Psych. Simone Nadine Löffler
Funding:Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection (BMJV)
The project investigates the
emotional and physiological mechanisms that influence sustainable consumption decisions. It examines
stress, emotion regulation, and self-reflection in real-life everyday contexts.
SCORES project information
Solution / Technology Used
To record emotions, self-reports, contextual factors, and behavior in everyday situations simultaneously, the research team uses:
• the
experience sampling platform movisensXS,
• combined with
EcgMove 4 sensors for measuring heart rate (ECG) and movement.
A key component is the
Additional Heart Rate Trigger Algorithm (AHR), which runs on the movisensXS app.
The sensor continuously transmits
preprocessed heart rate and movement data via Bluetooth to the app. The algorithm analyzes whether an increase in heart rate is due to
mental or emotionale strain and triggers targeted experience-sampling prompts in real time.
Sensor-triggering with movisensXS
Methodology / Implementation Details
The project combines
laboratory and field approaches:
• In the lab, emotional reactions to consumer situations are recorded under standardized conditions.
• In everyday life, movisensXS and EcgMove 4 provide continuous data on heart rate, movement, and mood.
• When the
AHR algorithm detects emotional activation, a situational self-assessment prompt is triggered in the app.
The result: high-resolution, ecologically valid data on the interplay between
emotion, behavior, and physiological response.
Technical Background: Additional Heart Rate Trigger Algorithm (AHR)
The
AHR algorithm detects when an increase in heart rate is not caused by
physical activity but by
mental or emotional strain – the so-called non-metabolic or additional heart rate component.
The movisensXS app continuously analyzes heart rate and movement intensity. If heart rate rises more than can be explained by movement, the app triggers an
AHR-event and automatically starts an experience sampling prompt.
The algorithm builds on the work of Myrtek et al. (1988; 2001) on detecting emotional ECG changes and has been optimized for mobile applications. Combined with the EcgMove 4 sensors and the movisensXS platform, it enables precise linkage between
physiological data and subjective experience in daily life.
AHR-Trigger-Algorithmus
Results and Significance
Using the AHR trigger, the research team can identify emotional reactions with
precise timing and record them directly in real-world contexts. For the first time,
emotional strain, stress, and decision-making behavior can be linked in
real time – creating a foundation for evidence-based recommendations in consumer protection and sustainable consumption.
Conclusion & Outlook
The SCORES project demonstrates how
mobile sensing and experience sampling can elevate everyday research to a new level: scientifically precise, ecologically valid, and practically applicable.
By employing the AHR algorithm, researchers can explore emotional processes in sustainable decision-making.
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