Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Assessment of Stress Effects on Cognitive Flexibility using an Operant Strategy Shifting Paradigm
Published on: May 4, 2020
Geopathic stress zones: short-term effects on work performance and well-being?
Christoph Augner1, Gerhard W Hacker, Ilse Jekel
1IGGMB-Research Institute for Frontier Questions of Medicine and Biotechnology, Landeskrankenhaus Salzburg, University Clinics of the Paracelsus Medical Private University, Salzburg Federal Clinics (SALK), Salzburg, Austria. c.augner@salk.at
Objectives:
The aim of the study was to evaluate whether two different locations in the same room as tested by dowsers ("geopathic stress zone" [GSZ] versus "more neutral zone" [NZ]) would show significant short-term effects on work performance and well-being. It was also tested whether a device reported to "neutralize" GSZ would influence results obtained with the specific setup used in this study.
Design:
This was a blinded, randomized, short-term laboratory experiment using a within-subject design.
Setting:
The study was conducted in the laboratory of the Research Institute for Frontier Questions of Medicine and Biotechnology at Salzburg Federal Hospital.
Subjects:
The subjects were 26 persons, aged 20-57.
Interventions:
Participants had to accomplish reaction tasks during three different conditions: GSZ, NZ, and GSZ with a device reported to "neutralize" GSZ. These conditions were counterbalanced into six different sequences and randomized to the subjects. At the end of each condition, a standardized well-being questionnaire had to be completed.
Main Outcome Measures:
Dependent variables were reactive stress tolerance (reaction time, timely right answers, right answers, false answers, left out) and well-being (described by six adjectives).
Main Results:
No location-dependent effects on performance during reactive stress tolerance test were seen. For well-being, analysis of variance revealed a trend (p = 0.07) and showed significantly poorer well-being during the GSZ condition compared to NZ (p = 0.01).
Conclusions:
This study shows that well-being can be location dependent and that this might be caused by a so-called GSZ. However, in our short-term experiment, factors of work performance tested remained unaffected.
More Related Videos
12:22Mindfulness in Motion (MIM): An Onsite Mindfulness Based Intervention (MBI) for Chronically High Stress Work Environments to Increase Resiliency and Work Engagement
Published on: July 1, 2015
06:15A Modified Trier Social Stress Test for Vulnerable Mexican American Adolescents
Published on: July 10, 2017
Related Concept Videos
Introduction to Stress and Lifestyle
Psychological Responses to Stress
Stress and Mental Health
Individuals with depression often experience challenges in both their personal and professional...
Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques II
Type A Personality: Driven and Easily Stressed
Individuals with Type A personalities are often highly competitive and ambitious and operate with a strong sense of urgency. Commonly labeled as "workaholics," they...
Types of Stressors
Catastrophes
Catastrophes refer to large-scale, unpredictable events that create overwhelming stress and a sense of threat. Examples include natural disasters like...
Components of Stress
Interestingly, the hidden cube faces also experience these stresses, equal and opposite to those on the...