The missing piece. Physiological data as a factor for identifying emotions of people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities

Abstract

Introduction: The preferences of people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD) often remain unfulfilled since it stays challenging to decode their idiosyncratic behavior resulting in a negative impact on their quality of life (QoL). Physiological data (i.e. heart rate (variability) and motion data) might be the missing piece for identifying emotions of people with PIMD, which positively affects their QoL.

Method: Machine learning (ML) processes and statistical analyses are integrated to discern and predict the potential relationship between physiological data and emotional states (i.e. numerical emotional states, descriptive emotional states and emotional arousal) in everyday interactions and activities of two participants with PIMD.

Results: Emotional profiles were created enabling a differentiation of the individual emotional behavior. Using ML classifiers and statistical analyses, the results regarding the phases partially confirm previous research, and the findings for the descriptive emotional states were good and even better for the emotional arousal.

Conclusion: The results show the potential of the emotional profiles especially for practitioners and the possibility to get a better insight into the emotional experience of people with PIMD including physiological data. This seems to be the missing piece to better recognize emotions of people with PIMD with a positive impact on their QoL.

Keywords:

• profound intellectual and multiple disabilities
• emotions
• physiological data
• heart rate (variability)
• quality of life
• everyday life
• machine learning

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Ethics approval

The study was approved by the Ethics Committee at the Heidelberg University of Education (approval number EV2019/04) and the Bioethical Committee at the Poznan University of Medical Sciences (approval number 10/21). With reference to international standards and research recommendations (Hammann 2022, Mietola et al. 2017, Williams 2008), legal representatives of the participants were informed about the research approach, its benefits and risks to consent with the additional request to take the perspective of the participant at the best possible rate. From the beginning to the end of the study, permanent and transparent reflection with optional readjustment took place by all persons involved. If signs of rejection or discomfort had been detected among the participants or expressed by a DSP, the study would have been discontinued.

Additional information

Funding

The research presented herewith has been conducted within the INSENSION project which has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement no. 780819.