THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VIEWING ASMR VIDEOS AND AFFECT IN

COLLEGE STUDENTS WITH SENSORY SENSITIVITY

A thesis submitted to the

Kent State University Honors College
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for General Honors

by

Emily Baldwin

May, 2020
 Thesis written by

Emily Baldwin

Approved by

_____________________________________________________________________,
Advisor

_________________________________, Chair, Department of Psychological Sciences

Accepted by

___________________________________________________, Dean, Honors College

ii
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES………..………………………………………………………………iv

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS……………………………………….………………………..v

CHAPTER

I. INTRODUCTION ………………………………….…………….………1

II. METHOD…………………………………………….………………….10

III. RESULTS………………………………………………………………..15

IV. DISCUSSION……………………………………………………………17

REFERENCES…………………………………………………………………………..26

APPENDIX

1. TABLES…………………………………………………………………30

iii
 LIST OF TABLES

Table 1. Demographic Characteristic Statistics of Individuals who scored at or

above 4.7 on the HSPS………………………………………………......30

Table 2. Correlations Between HSPS and Positive/Negative Affect of Individuals

who scored at or above 4.7 on the HSPS...………………………………31

Table 3. Change in Positive Affect between Pre-Posttest MAI Video…….……...32

Table 4. Changes in Mean Negative Affect Level Between Pre-Posttest MAI

Video………………………………………………………………...…...33

Table 5. Change in Negative Affect between Pre-Posttest MAI Video MAI...…...34

iv
 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The completion of this project would not have been possible without the support

and guidance of so many people. I would first like to thank my advisor, Dr. Mary Ann

Devine. She has been a wonderful mentor to me through her patience, encouragement,

and immense knowledge. I learned a great deal from her open-minded, creative approach

to research, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work with her. Alongside my

advisor, I would like to thank the rest of my defense committee: Dr. Lisa Audet, Dr. Amy

Miracle, and Dr. Shannon Ciesla, for their kind words of support, thoughtful questions,

and constructive feedback.

I also want to give thanks to all my friends and family for their patience and

support throughout this process. I am so grateful to my parents, Ken and Angel Baldwin,

for always believing I could achieve my goals and expressing their unlimited care during

moments of uncertainty. A special thanks to Louise Bowers, who has always made me

feel like family and is a diligent proofreader. Finally, I want to thank my fiancé, Andrew

Bowers II, for listening to my every concern with patience and compassion, and for his

willingness to help me take on new challenges as we both progress in our studies.

v
 1

INTRODUCTION

Emotional well-being is an issue high in priority among young adults, often

categorized as a generational group called Generation Z (Dimock, 2019). This group is

known to discuss and be concerned with the effects of stress and are likely to employ

contemporary coping mechanisms that were unavailable to previous generations through

the internet (Bland et al., 2012). With college years being considered one of the most

stressful periods in a person’s life due to changes in health habits and greater academic

responsibilities, college students may use different stress management strategies to cope

(Hales, 2009). One strategy that has emerged in recent years is a sensory phenomenon

called Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR), which has grown in popularity

due to its apparent ability to help people relax and/or fall asleep through stimulating

visuals and sounds, known as ASMR triggers (Poerio et al, 2018). Online, many people

seek out this experience by watching and creating videos that include common triggers

that are intended to relax the viewer.

This study aims to examine if there is a relationship between viewing ASMR

videos and a change in emotional response in college students with high sensory

processing sensitivity (SPS). SPS was described by a review by Greven and colleagues as

a common, heritable trait involving increased information processing in the brain. This

population was chosen based on previous studies that found a relationship between high

SPS and negative affect, which is the terminology used that means experience of
 2

emotion. Evidence from previous studies demonstrated that college students with high

SPS may be under an even greater level of stress than a typical college student, and

therefore have a greater need for effective, accessible emotional regulation strategies

(Engel-Yeger & Dunn, 2011).

Sensory Processing Sensitivity and Affect

SPS is a trait involving increased processing, which leads to sensitivity to both

positive and negative experiences, with negative experiences increasing risk for negative

psychological outcomes. High SPS is related to a higher risk of stress-related problems

from negative environment conditions (Greven et al, 2019). These conditions can include

physical, social, and sensory stimuli, as well as internal events such as one’s thoughts,

feelings, and sensations. During the ages between 18-24 years old, college students with

SPS may need relief from the extra stress that comes with pursing a higher education

degree. It is reasonable to conclude that those with high SPS would be more affected by

the college situations considered stressful by most students.

Several studies have found a relationship between individuals having high SPS

and negative affect. In a study by Engel-Yeger and Dunn (2011), typical adult population

aged 18-50 years completed the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP) to measure

sensory processing sensitivity levels and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule

(PANAS) to measure affect. The aim of the study was to strengthen previous findings

regarding sensory processing patterns and affect in typical adults, as most evidence prior
 3

to this study was related to children. Researchers made a distinction between different

expressions of sensory processing through dimensions of sensory thresholds and relative

behavior strategies, including two high neurological threshold groups and two low

neurological groups, based on their AASP scores. The high neurological threshold groups

were low registration, individuals with a passive behavior strategy who fail to detect

stimuli that others notice, and sensation seeking, individuals with an active behavior

strategy who experience pleasure from a rich sensory environment. Similarly, the low

neurological threshold groups are defined by their behavior strategies with sensory

avoiding individuals actively limiting exposure to stimuli, and sensory sensitive

individuals passively feeling uncomfortable in overly stimulating environments.

The results of the study by Engel-Yeger and Dunn (2011) supported their

hypotheses that negative affect was positively correlated with low neurological threshold

sensory processing patterns, positive affect was positively correlated with sensation

seeking sensory processing patterns, and there were significant differences in

positive/negative affect between the four sensory processing patterns. Researchers noted

that most studies examining sensory sensitivity and affect primarily analyzed low

neurological threshold groups, and speculated that these individuals are “more noticeable

in research and are referred more frequently to therapy, because of their hypervigilance,

aggression, need to control or avoid situations and the emotional burden and distress that

they experience” (Engel-Yeger & Dunn, 2011, p. 461). This is relevant to the present

study as the main interest was with a sensory sensitive low threshold group, due to the
 4

potential presence of maladaptive traits and noted correlational findings with negative

affect that could create challenges for a college student.

Sensory Processing Sensitivity and Anxiety

In another study by Engel-Yeger and Dunn (2011), researchers were interested in

the relationship between sensory processing difficulties and anxiety as both a trait and a

state. State anxiety refers to emotional response to stressful environments that is subject

to conditional fluctuation depending on external changes, while trait anxiety describes

individual differences in anxiety tendency that is relatively stable. Using the AASP and

the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory self-reporting measures, findings were that participants

with sensory hypersensitivity demonstrated both elevated trait anxiety and state anxiety

(Engel-Yeger & Dunn 2011, Spielberger 1972). The significant predictor for state anxiety

was the presence of sensation avoiding characteristics. Recommendations provided by

researchers based on these conclusions were that interventions that utilize sensory

profiles and employ strategies that consider sensory needs could be helpful in improving

anxiety levels. These findings support the assumption of the current study that college

students with sensory processing sensitivity would be more anxious than what is typical

and may benefit from a tool to help alleviate anxiety.

Another study by Brindle, Moulding, Bakker, and Nedeljkovic (2015) explored

the relationship between SPS and symptoms of anxiety and stress through using different

emotional regulation measures to measure anxiety and depression. They then explored if
 5

symptoms of anxiety and depression could be mediated using specifically taught

emotional regulation strategies, as previous evidence had shown that maladaptive

emotional regulation can contribute to negative affect (Barlow, 1991). Using the Highly

Sensitive Person Scale (HSPS) and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS-

21), researchers found that there was a positive relationship between SPS and negative

psychological symptoms which was consistent with previous studies. They also found

that this relationship was partially mediated through emotional regulation, as aversive

internal states experienced by highly sensitive persons may limit their belief that they can

tolerate or cope with negative affective states (Brindle et al, 2015). Researchers

recommended interventions could focus on increasing an individual’s self-efficacy

regarding dealing with emotions as well as therapeutic strategies such as mindfulness and

acceptance-based strategies that could positively impact the acceptance of negative

affective states. This is relevant to the current study as researchers are interested in

mediating the relationship between negative emotional states and SPS through watching

ASMR, which has been associated with mindfulness (Fredborg, Clark, & Smith, 2018).

Understanding ASMR

ASMR has been defined by some studies as the tingling sensations reported by

individuals after experiencing triggers (Fredborg, Clark, & Smith, 2018). However, often

the goal in experiencing ASMR is achieving a more positive emotional state. Under this

context, ASMR videos are the sensory tool that researchers are using to establish if there
 6

is a correlation between engaging with ASMR content and changes in affect in the target

population, as opposed to the physical response to triggers. The effectiveness of ASMR

as a psychological relaxation tool has been explored in prior studies.

In a study by Barratt and Davis (2015), ASMR was examined to explore the

extent to which engagement with ASMR may ease symptoms of depression, which is

related to negative affect as the constructs are related (Watson, Clark, & Carey, 1988).

The researchers sought to examine relationships between engagement in ASMR content

and mood, as well as various triggers and sensations participant could have experienced.

The study found that 80% of participants reported a positive influence in mood after

watching ASMR (Barratt & Davis, 2015). Another important finding from this study was

that 50% of participants said their mood improved even in sessions when no tingling

sensation was produced, while 30% said that achieving this sensation was vital to mood

improvement. This supports the idea that tingling sensations are not essential to the

ASMR experience and potential mood improvement. In participants who scored

moderate to severe on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI II), 69% reported using

ASMR content to ease their symptoms of depression and the overall mean improvement

of reported mood was 38.75 (STD =18.85), in comparison to a mean improvement of

21.33 (STD=13.58) in non-depressed participant (Barratt & Davis, 2015). The study

suggests further investigation into ASMR for improving mood and pain symptoms as “a

potential therapeutic measure similar to meditation and mindfulness” (Barratt & Davis,

2015).
 7

Further research by Fredborg, Clark, and Smith (2018) compared ASMR

experiences with measures of mindfulness in order to draw conclusions about their

related effects. The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between

ASMR and mindfulness by operationalizing mindfulness as both a state and a trait,

meaning it can be felt as a conscious, attention-focused experience in the moment or as a

tendency to view the world in a mindful way. Participants completed the Toronto

Mindfulness Scale (TMS) and the Mindful Attention and Awareness Scale (MAAS), as

well as a questionnaire about ASMR experiences. The results were that participants who

experienced ASMR scored significantly higher on the Mindfulness scales than the Non-

ASMR control group, which suggests ASMR and mindfulness are related constructs.

These results are relevant because improving mindfulness has been an established tool to

help emotional regulation, and the present study is looking to see if ASMR elicits similar

results in a more specific population.

Another study has also used ASMR to explore why people engage with this

content, what individuals report feeling after watching ASMR, and whether there are

measurable therapeutic benefits. Poerio, Blakely, Hostler and Veltri (2018) studied

ASMR in a large-scale online experiment to test the emotional correlates of the ASMR

response. Their aim was to use ASMR to elicit measurable affective responses from

groups of individuals who reported experiencing tingling sensations and those who did

not, for the purpose of comparing differences in outcomes. Participants watched two

ASMR clips and one control clip, and then self-reported their affective response on

several dimensions using the Multi-affect Indicator as well as how frequently they
 8

experienced tingling sensations during the videos. Results indicated relative affective

differences between individuals who reported experiencing tingling sensations and those

who did not, but both groups reported overall higher levels of positive affect such as

excitement and calmness and lower levels of stress after watching ASMR. There were no

differences in affective response to the control videos for either participant group, which

demonstrates the change in affect was based on viewing ASMR videos and not a general

response to any video. This relates to the current study as researchers are aiming to

improve affect regardless of potential tingling response, while also examining

correlations between sensory sensitivity and level of response.

The Current Study

The present study is a modified replication of two studies by Engel-Yeger and

Dunn (2011) and Poerio et al (2018), using the Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) scale and

the Multi-affect Indicator to collect data on a broader sample of college students from

Kent State University. These studies were chosen because researchers are trying to

determine if their results can be replicated with this population. The Engel-Yeger and

Dunn study found a correlation between sensory processing patterns and negative affect

by analyzing data given by participants through the AASP and PANAS surveys. Poerio

and colleagues studied relationships between watching ASMR and affect, in which affect

was improved after watching ASMR videos and not after watching the control videos. In

combining ideas from both studies, researchers hope to find relationships between
 9

watching ASMR and affect in participants with high SPS using these self-reporting

scales. With this population as the focus as opposed to tingle sensitivity, we could

compare the changes in affect to see how this group is affected by ASMR.

Based on findings from previous studies, significant associations between

negative affect and anxiety and the trait of sensory processing sensitivity, the present

study aimed to examine if college students with high SPS would elicit similar positive

affective outcomes after watching ASMR videos (Brindle et al, 2015; Engel-Yeger &

Dunn, 2011; Greven et al, 2019). In studying the effect of high SPS on responses to

positive stimuli, researchers are interested in knowing if there is a change in emotional

state following viewing ASMR videos.

Based on the review of previous literature, it was hypothesized that:

1. Negative affect will be positively correlated with high levels of sensory

sensitivity.

2. Affect will improve significantly after watching ASMR videos.

 10

METHOD

Participants

Study Eligibility

Participants eligible for inclusion in this study were college students between the

ages of 18-24 years enrolled at Kent State University. Researchers omitted data from

participants who did not complete the study, and participants who took less than 14

minutes or longer than 1 hour to complete the study. This omission was to ensure all

videos were watched and questions were answered in one sitting to limit confounding

variables.

Recruitment

Participants were recruited through flyers as well as mass emailing 7,500 students

who met the age criteria. Flyers were posted in 16 different buildings across the Kent

State University main campus inviting interested individuals to email the researchers in

order to participate. After FERPA approval, the Kent State Registrar’s office provided

researchers with a list containing the emails of all eligible students. Mass emails were

sent to 7,500 eligible students that were chosen randomly through Qualtrics. An initial

email was sent to invite students to participate, followed by three reminder emails to

those who had not completed the study.

 11

Final Subject Pool

The sample size was determined by collecting as many responses as possible

within a two-month period (during which the survey was active online). To qualify for

analysis in this study, a threshold score of 4.7 on the HSPS needed to be met for

participants to be considered “highly sensitive”, resulting in the final sample size of 29.

Data was collected anonymously along with other college students who may have lower

levels of SPS in order for individuals with high SPS to not be singled out to do this study.

The study was voluntary and offered no compensation.

Participant Demographics

Table 1 shows a summary of participant demographic characteristics, as reported

through the survey. The study participants ranged in age from 18 to 24, with a mean age

of 21. A majority of the participants were female (82.8%), 13.8% were male, and 3.4%

were non-binary. Also, most of the participants were Caucasian (93.1%), and 6.9%

reported a Biracial or Multi-racial ethnicity. The class rank distribution of the participants

was 41.4% seniors, 27.6% were juniors, 20.7% were sophomores, and 10.3% were

freshmen. In regards to familiarity with ASMR videos, 44.8% of the participants reported

that they were extremely familiar with ASMR and watch ASMR videos on a regular

basis, 17.2% were very familiar and have watched more than one ASMR video, 20.7%

were moderately familiar and have watched at least one ASMR video, 10.3% were

slightly familiar and have never watched an ASMR video, and 6.9% were not familiar at

all with what ASMR is.

 12

Instruments and Videos

Instruments were chosen based on their availability, number of items, and ability

to measure the constructs of affect and SPS in previous studies. The scales measuring

affect and SPS were freely available for research purposes by Warr (2014) and Aron &

Aron (1997) respectively. Also, the scales were chosen because they contained fewer

items than other instruments that measured the same constructs in the interest of

accessibility and reducing the time needed to take the survey. On average, the survey

took 23.05 minutes to complete.

Demographic questionnaire: Demographic data were collected on age, current

class standing, gender, and ethnicity. It also included a question regarding how familiar

the individual was with ASMR videos on a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being “Extremely

familiar” and 5 being “Not familiar at all”.

The Highly Sensitive Person Scale (HSPS) (Aron & Aron, 1997): All subjects

completed this instrument, which is a self-reporting tool including 27 items that are rated

according to how sensitive subjects are to certain situations or stimuli. All items are

scored in the same direction from 1 to 7, with 1 being the least sensory sensitive and 7

being the most sensitive. Participants’ sensitivity levels scored by calculating an item

mean score. A score of 4.7 was the threshold for the “highly sensitive” group, the subject

group included in this study. This scale was chosen instead of the AASP measure used in

the Engel-Yeger and Dunn study to determine the level of SPS because while they

measure similar constructs, HSPS is more accessible and includes fewer items.
 13

The Multi-Affect Indicator (MAI) (Warr, 2014): Items from this instrument were

used to measure the affective outcomes of watching each video. It included 16 items that

specify different kinds of feeling not only in terms of the conventional negative-to-

positive affect but also through low-to-high mental arousal or activation (Remington,

Fabrigar, & Visser, 2000; Russell, 1980, 2003). Item responses are scored from 1 to 7 to

rate how often an emotion is felt, with 1 indicating “never” and 7 indicating “always”.

While scores for 4 different variations of affect can be measured with the items, for the

purpose of this study researchers are only examining mean scores for positive and

negative affect without considering activation level. This scale was used in the study by

Poerio et al and has been reported to have high content validity and reliability (Warr,

2014).

Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response Video Clips: Each research participant

watched three ASMR videos, as well as two control videos. Video clips were each

approximately three minutes in length and included: six soft-spoken ASMR videos (three

with a female voice and three with a male voice), three ASMR videos with sound, but no

speaking, and, six control (non-ASMR) videos (three with a speaking component and

three with sound, but no speaking). ASMR videos were taken from YouTube and were

selected by the author on the basis that they contained multiple ASMR triggers (Poerio et

al, 2018). Control (non-ASMR videos) were also selected from YouTube and were

chosen in order to mimic the content of ASMR videos as closely as possible without

containing ASMR triggers and were not deemed to be potentially ASMR-inducing.

 14

Design

The study used a pre-post design where research participants completed the

Multi-Affect Indicator before and after viewing of videos. The dependent variable was

self-reported changes in affect experienced after watching the videos. The Highly

Sensitive Person scale was also completed before the videos were presented.

Procedure

After receiving ethical approval from the Kent State University institutional

review board, participants were recruited through flyers posted across the Kent State

University main campus as well as mass emailing 7,500 students who met the age

criteria. After providing informed consent and demographic information through an

online survey on Qualtrics, participants gave an initial response to items on the MAI

pretest to provide a comparative measure of affect. Then, participants took the HSPS to

determine sensory sensitivity level. Scores on these measures were not available for

participants to view. Then participants watched one of each type of video, randomly

chosen from the preselected videos. After each video, participants completed a posttest

MAI to measure affective response to that video.

 15

RESULTS

The results of this study were corrected from Qualtrics to be analyzed through

SPSS. Pearson’s correlation tests were calculated to examine the relationship between

HSPS score and negative and positive affect scores on the pretest MAI in individuals who

scored a 4.7 or above on the HSPS. Paired samples T-tests were also computed, in order

to examine whether significant differences in MAI scores exist between the different

video types. Probabilities at or below 0.05 were considered significant.

Hypothesis 1

Hypothesis 1 (H₁): Negative affect will be positively correlated with high levels of

sensory sensitivity.

Results of this study did not support H₁. As seen in Table 2, correlation between

pretest negative affect and HSPS scores were not statistically significant. While not

hypothesized, there was a significant correlation between HSPS score and pretest positive

affect, r=.419, p<.05. This suggests that within this sample a high score on the HSPS is

positively related to positive affect, not negative affect.

Hypothesis 2

Hypothesis 2 (H₂): Affect will improve significantly after watching ASMR videos.
 16

T-test were conducted on the results of research subjects who scored a 4.7 or

higher on the HSPS to examine the change in positive affect from pre to post testing of

MIA after viewing ASMR videos. The results from the paired sample t-test for positive

affect revealed no change in positive affect after watching ASMR videos, but there was a

statistically significant change in the control video between the no voice control video

type and feelings of positive affect. This means the data does not support the hypothesis

of significant improved positive affect after watching ASMR type videos. See Table 3,

which displays t-test results between the pretest positive affect and each post-video

positive affect.

Second, another t-test was conducted on the results of research subjects who

scored a 4.7 or higher on the HSPS to examine the change in negative affect from pre to

post testing of MIA after viewing ASMR videos. Results show significant changes in

negative affect after watching all video types. This suggests that negative affect was

reduced throughout the survey compared to the initial pretest MAI measurement, but it

does not support the hypothesis that watching ASMR type videos caused this change as

negative affect improved after watching control videos as well. As seen in table 4, there

were changes in the mean between level of the pretest negative affect and each post-video

negative affect, and table 5 displays t-test results.

 17

DISCUSSION

The objective of the present study was to replicate findings from a previous study

that examined a relationship between negative affect and high SPS, as well as the effects

of watching ASMR videos on affect people who scored a 4.7 on the HSPS. The

hypotheses of this study were that negative affect would be positively correlated with

high levels of sensory sensitivity, and that affect would improve significantly after

watching ASMR videos. While the results of the present study did not support these

hypotheses, there are important implications and critiques that could be utilized in future

research of both ASMR and SPS.

The relationship between negative affect and high SPS

The present study examined the relationship between negative affect score on the

MAI scale and HSPS score in individuals who scored a 4.7 or above. While it was

hypothesized that negative affect would be positively correlated with high levels of

sensory sensitivity, no significant correlation between these two constructs were found.

This may be because of the size of the sample, and environmental factors outside of the

study. There was, however, a significant correlation between positive affect and HSPS

score in this sample, r=.419, p<.05. This is inconsistent with findings from previous

studies that found a positive relationship between negative affect and HSPS (Brindle et

al, 2015; Engel-Yeger & Dunn, 2011). If high SPS was related to positive affectivity

instead of negative affectivity, then the population would not necessarily need an
 18

emotional regulation tool like ASMR videos. However, due to how consistently the

relationship between high SPS and negative affect has been found in previous literature,

researchers speculate that their findings were different because of limitations (Aron &

Aron, 1997; Bakker & Moulding, 2012; Liss, Timmel, Baxley, & Killingsworth, 2005).

When analyzing a relationship between negative affect and high SPS, the small

size of the sample (N=29) could have been a contributing factor. Individual differences in

affect would have been more pronounced, meaning there could be outlier individuals

with high SPS who abnormally low negative affect scores had affecting the results.

Another rational for the absence of this relationship could be explained in a study by Liss

et al. (2005), which suggested that highly sensitive people are not necessarily predisposed

to negative affect. The relationship is found in the context of a difficult environment, as

they are more likely to experience negative psychological symptoms compared with

individuals with normative sensory processing (Liss et al.). The individuals in this sample

may have scored high on the HSPS but were not experiencing a situation that would have

caused negative affect. Another related factor is that college can be a challenging

environment for any individual, but these challenges are not constant over time. The

survey was distributed in January of 2020, during the beginning of the semester which

could elicit different responses if it was completed during another time in the semester

such as final exam week. Given the relationship found between HSPS score and positive

affect, it is possible that at this time college was a positive environment for this sample of

the population as opposed to a negative one.

 19

Effects of watching ASMR on individuals with high SPS

Positive Affect

Results of research subjects who scored a 4.7 or higher on the HSPS were

examined to determine if there were changes in positive affect from pre to post testing of

MIA after viewing ASMR videos. After watching ASMR videos, there was no overall

statistically significant change in affect. However, there was a statistically significant

change in positive affect between the pretest MAI and posttest after watching the no

voice control video type. This means the data does not support the hypothesis of

significant improved positive affect after watching ASMR type videos. Researchers

speculate these results could be related to the choice of materials as well as instrument

limitations. The type of ASMR videos used in this study was replicated from a study by

Poerio et al., (2018) but the exact videos used in the previous study were not able to be

obtained. While researchers chose video clips that were representative of common ASMR

content, it would have been preferable to use video clips that have already been shown to

influence affect. Similarly, the no voice control video eliciting positive change in positive

affect could be contributed to the video clips being too different from the others, which

would make it not useful or representative as a control.

Negative Affect

The results of research subjects who scored a 4.7 or higher on the HSPS were

examined to identify changes in negative affect from pre to post testing of MIA after

viewing ASMR videos. Results show statistically significant changes in negative affect
 20

after watching all video types for this population. This suggests that while negative affect

decreased post-test, it does not support the hypothesis that the type of video watched was

relative to this change as negative affect improved after watching the control videos as

well. Given that the control videos also resulted in a decrease in negative affect it could

be speculated that the process in and of itself may reduce negative affect.

These results could have also been influenced by the order the video clips were

presented in, as video clips were always viewed starting with female voice ASMR, then

male voice ASMR, no voice ASMR, voice control, and lastly no voice control. In

showing the videos in this order that starts with the ASMR types, participants could have

benefitted from the ASMR videos as an initial intervention, leading to improvement in

negative affect over time. Given that the no voice control video was the last video to

shown and resulted in the greatest positive change in negative affect, this outcome could

be due to the cumulative intervention effect of the ASMR videos instead of the control

video itself. If the videos had been presented in a random order, it would represent the

effects of each video without potential cumulative improvements or timing confounds.

Despite the inability to state ASMR videos as the contributing factor in the

decrease of negative affect, these results do have significant implications regarding the

effect of ASMR and people with high SPS. Negative affect was reduced through an

intervention effect as opposed to effect of video type, which demonstrates watching

videos in general can improve negative affect in this population. ASMR videos are

intended to help remove one’s self from the negativity of everyday life and focus on the
 21

ASMR triggers that are presented. Evidence of reduced negative affect while watching all

videos could be explained through the context of the study having participants focus on

videos while bringing awareness to how they are feeling, which reflects the way ASMR

videos are meant to be watched. Perhaps individuals with high SPS are positively

impacted by focusing on videos in this context, or by a potential change the person’s state

of mind when viewing. Although the exact cause of reduced negative affect cannot be

determined, the results show a potential link between effect of ASMR and people who

have high SPS.

This study found a link between a reduction in negative affect and watching

ASMR videos. Applications of ASMR could be used with high SPS college students as

well as other populations give the ease of access of these videos. Students could be

introduced to ASMR as a tool to reduce negative affect alongside a list of other mental

health resources on a college website. For example, students could use these videos

occasionally, in times of stress such as final exam week, to manage stress or improve

well-being. To broaden the application of ASMR beyond college students, promotions

could be produced to present ASMR to any population that could benefit from this tool. If

the results of the current study were reflected on a larger scale by introducing more

people to ASMR, negative affect could be reduced for those are vulnerable to negative

psychological outcomes.
 22

Limitations of the study

The findings need to be considered with respect to the limitations of the current

study. A convenience sample of Kent State University students was used as the research

subject pool, which could have led to a homogeneous subject pool that does not reflect

the population. This also could have contributed to the small number of students who met

the 4.7 HSPS threshold. There were challenges using the MAI scale, despite its use in

previous inquiries examining ASMR and affect. Specifically, the instrument used a

confusing scoring process that made comparing positive and negative difficult in terms of

numerical value. Authors of the measure instruct that negative values should be reverse

scored, so that higher scores always represent higher well-being (Warr, 2014). Since

researchers were not measuring well-being, inverting the scores was not relevant for

measuring affect. Other studies that used this instrument also did not invert scores if the

aim was not to examine well-being, thus the scores were not inverted for this study

(Poerio et al, 2018). While the ideas about low-to-high mental activation being measured

alongside positive and negative affect could be relevant in a study about the effects of

ASMR, this method was not used in this study as researchers were focused on emotional

state as opposed to arousal to stimuli. Another scale such as the PANAS survey may have

measured positive and negative affect score with less difficulty. One other design-related

limitation was that the survey did not include any questions regarding participants’ use of

medications, which could have mitigated emotional response to the ASMR videos and

was not factored into the results.

 23

Another set of limitations of the study were related to the implementation of the

online survey. There was a lack of incentive for students to complete a relatively long

online survey, with the average time to complete the study being more than 20 minutes.

Without providing course extra credit or potential financial gain, it was a challenge to

recruit participants. Students who self-selected to participate in the study may have been

interested because they were already familiar with ASMR, thus had pre-disposed

opinions or feelings about this type of video, which could have influenced the subject

group. Also, the issue of limited response rate was exacerbated by mistakes in creating

the online survey through Qualtrics. Participants were able to skip past video clips

without watching them, which was reflected in their quick completion time. This created

more invalid responses than there may have been otherwise. Also, while each type of

video had 3 videos that were randomly selected from, the types of video were not in a

randomized order. These mistakes in the online survey’s design could have affected the

sample size and results.

Future Research

With interest in studying ASMR increasing for potential use in decreasing stress,

anxiety, and nervousness, future research should focus on how different populations

could benefit from experiencing ASMR. Groups with net negative affect should be

particularly focused on, as ASMR is a psychological relaxation tool which could be

beneficial in achieving a more positive emotional state. Studying ASMR in this way
 24

could lead to greater understanding regarding how and why many people consider it

helpful in reducing negative psychological symptoms. This could be useful for

establishing ASMR as an accessible, viable emotional regulation strategy, as well as

potentially developing similar interventions for clinical settings.

Implications from this study suggest changes in study design and composition if

replicated. A larger sample size should be used in order to account for more variables and

a more accurate reflection of the population in terms of diversity. Researchers should also

consider exploring different materials to measure affect, or utilize the measures of low-

to-high mental activation alongside positive and negative affect within the MAI that

could be relevant in a study about the effects of ASMR that were not used in this study.

Future researchers should also consider using laboratory-based methods to address these

constructs in order to control for more confounds or redesigning the online survey to

improve measurement of the affect.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the present study aimed to examine if there is a relationship

between viewing ASMR videos and a change in emotional response in college students

with high sensory processing sensitivity (SPS). Researchers hypothesized that negative

affect would be positively correlated with high levels of sensory sensitivity, and that

affect would improve significantly after watching ASMR videos. While the hypotheses of

the present study were not supported, a larger scale study with a more representative
 25

sample should be conducted to further explore ASMR videos and their effects on

populations with a need for an accessible tool for emotional regulation. Accessibility

through technology is one of the most important developments for all people, especially

those who may be more vulnerable. It is important to study the potential outcomes of an

organically developed online intervention like ASMR videos because researchers can

learn if it works to reduce negative affectivity, why it works, and how it could be best

utilized in both personal and clinical settings.

 26

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TABLES
Table 1
Demographic Characteristic Statistics of Individuals who scored at or above 4.7 on the
HSPS
Descriptive Characteristics Frequency Percent

1 Gender

Female 24 82.8

Male 4 13.8

Non-Binary 1 3.4

2 Ethnicity

Caucasian 27 93.1

Biracial or Multi-racial 2 6.9

3 Class Rank

Freshmen 3 10.3

Sophomore 6 20.7

Junior 8 27.6

Senior 12 41.4

4 ASMR Familiarity

Extremely familiar 13 44.8

Very familiar 5 17.2

Moderately familiar 6 20.7

Slightly familiar 3 10.3

Not familiar at all 2 6.9

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Table 2
Correlations Between HSPS and Positive/Negative Affect of Individuals who scored at or
above 4.7 on the HSPS
Paired Samples Correlation Sig.

1 HSPS & Pretest .419* .024

Positive Affect

2 HSPS & Pretest .113 .561

Negative Affect
*Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed)
 32

Table 3
Change in Positive Affect between Pre-Posttest MAI Video
Paired Samples Mean Std. Deviation t df Sig. (2-tailed)

1 Pretest Positive Affect & -.05172 1.61967 -.172 28 .865

Post Female ASMR Positive
Affect

2 Pretest Positive Affect & .38793 1.43860 1.452 28 .158

Post Male ASMR Positive
Affect

3 Pretest Positive Affect & .16810 1.51565 .597 28 .555

Post No Voice ASMR
Positive Affect

4 Pretest Positive Affect & .58190 1.57487 1.990 28 .056

Post Voice Control Video
Positive Affect

5 Pretest Positive Affect & .55603 1.16572 2.569 28 .016

Post No Voice Control
Video Positive Affect
 33

Table 4
Changes in Mean Negative Affect Level Between Pre-Posttest MAI Video
Paired Samples Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean

1 Pretest Negative Affect 2.9741 1.19587 .22207

Post Female ASMR 1.8017 .70751 .13138

Negative Affect

2 Pretest Negative Affect 2.9741 1.19587 .22207

Post Male ASMR Negative 1.8966 .80669 .14980

Affect

3 Pretest Negative Affect 2.9741 1.19587 .22207

Post No Voice ASMR 1.5259 .57610 .10698

Negative Affect

4 Pretest Negative Affect 2.9741 1.19587 .22207

Post Voice Control Video 1.5474 .85788 .15930

Negative Affect

5 Pretest Negative Affect 2.9741 1.19587 7.102

Post No Voice Control 1.4957 .79933 .14843

Video Negative Affect
 34

Table 5
Change in Negative Affect between Pre-Posttest MAI Video MAI
Paired Samples Mean Std. Deviation t df Sig. (2-tailed)

1 Pretest Negative Affect & 1.17241 1.26527 4.990 28 .000

Post Female ASMR
Negative Affect

2 Pretest Negative Affect & 1.07759 1.40884 4.119 28 .000

Post Male ASMR Negative
Affect

3 Pretest Negative Affect & 1.44828 1.18421 6.586 28 .000

Post No Voice ASMR
Negative Affect

4 Pretest Negative Affect & 1.42672 1.17047 6.564 28 .000

Post Voice Control Video
Negative Affect

5 Pretest Negative Affect & 1.47845 1.12106 7.102 28 .000

Post No Voice Control
Video Negative Affect