Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 22, 2026

Psychophysiological Stress Assessment Using Biofeedback
Published on: July 31, 2009
Psychophysiological stress response of adolescent chess players during problem-solving tasks
Juan Pedro Fuentes-García1, Telmo Pereira2, Maria António Castro3
1Faculty of Sport Science, University of Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain.
Abstract:
The game of chess has been traditionally used to study basic cognitive processes. However, it has been poorly studied in adolescent chess players. The aim of the present study was to describe the psychophysiological response of adolescence, using electroencephalography (EEG) and heart rate variability (HRV) during problem-solving tasks. Thus, participants had to solve four chess problems with different level of difficulty (low and high). A total of 13 adolescent chess players (age: 15.45 [1.64] with a mean ELO score of 1403 [209.16]) participated in the study. EEG and HRV were recorded while participants solved the chess problems. Results indicated that HRV is reduced as well as EEG theta power spectrum increased during the high difficulty level. These results support the idea of HRV and EEG as useful tools to control stress or cognitive load during cognitive tasks even in adolescent. This characterization increases the knowledge about the psychophysiological response of adolescence to a cognitive task under time pressure.
Related Concept Videos
Responses to Salt Stress
Responses to Heat and Cold Stress
Principal Stresses: Problem Solving
Problem Solving on Stress and Strain
Stress Response System
Alarm stage
In the alarm stage, the body's...
Shearing Stresses in a Beam: Problem Solving

