Abstract
We investigated the ability of chewing to reduce stress, using two psychophysiological indices: skin conductance level (SCL) and heart rate (HR). Ten undergraduate students participated in this study. After the exposure to stress by solving the Uchida-Kraepelin Performance Test for 7 min and doing a mental calculation for 4 min, the participants consumed water (control group) or a gum, which they did (chewing group) or did not chew (not chewing group) for 5 min, and then relaxed by sitting still on a chair for 10 min. In terms of the Russell and Lanius model of the affective quality, participants in the control and chewing conditions were first stimulated, and then gradually relaxed after 4 min. During the relaxation period after consumption, the relaxation levels of the two groups were further increased. However, not chewing caused the participants to maintain stimulated throughout the consumption and post-consumption relaxation period. These results indicate that ingesting gum without chewing it stimulated the participants and the stimulation lasted not only during the 5 min of ingestion but also during the 10 min of relaxation after ingestion. Chewing reduced stress more than was seen in the control and not chewing groups. There were significant differences in SCL between the not chewing group and the other groups in the 4^<th> minute (p < 0.05) and between the chewing and not chewing groups at the 5^<th> minute (p < 0.05) of the relaxation period. However, there were no statistically significant differences in HR among the three groups.
