Thermal Infrared Imaging to Evaluate Emotional Competences in Nursing Students: A First Approach through a Case Study

Abstract: During nursing studies, it is crucial to develop emotional skills for both academic success and quality patient care. Utilizing technologies like thermography can be instrumental in nursing education to assess and enhance these skills. The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of thermography in monitoring and improving the emotional skills of nursing students through a case study approach. The case study involved exposing a student to various emotional stimuli, including videos and music, and measuring facial temperature changes. These changes were recorded using a FLIR E6 camera across three phases: acclimatization, stimulus, and response. Environmental factors such as temperature and humidity were also recorded. Distinct thermal responses were observed for different emotions. For instance, during the acclimatization phase with video stimuli, forehead temperatures varied between positive emotions (joy: 34.5\textdegree C to 34.5\textdegree C) and negative emotions (anger: 36.1\textdegree C to 35.1\textdegree C). However, there was a uniform change in temperature during both stimulus (joy: 34.7\textdegree C to 35.0\textdegree C, anger: 35.0\textdegree C to 35.0\textdegree C) and response phases (joy: 35.0\textdegree C to 35.0\textdegree C, anger: 34.8\textdegree C to 35.0\textdegree C). Music stimuli also induced varying thermal patterns (joy: 34.2\textdegree C to 33.9\textdegree C to 33.4\textdegree C, anger: 33.8\textdegree C to 33.4\textdegree C to 33.8\textdegree C).Thermography revealed consistent thermal patterns in response to emotional stimuli, with the exception of the nose area, suggesting its suitability as a non-invasive, quantifiable, and accessible method for emotional skill training in nursing education.