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Interview study, 2022

Can a smile-recognition smart mirror help women with PMS feel better?

In a small 10-day study, 4 women with PMS used the mirror and reported that smiling prompted positive emotions and reduced the anger and depression related to their PMS.

Early or limited evidence 4 women aged 20-30 with PMS

What they did

Qualitative study of 4 women in their 20s and 30s with PMS. They used a special smart mirror that only displayed when they smiled, kept daily diaries, recorded smile photos, and participated in interviews about their experience over 10 days according to their menstrual cycle.

What they found

Using the mirror, negative emotions caused by PMS including anger, sensitivity, and depression changed to positive feelings and emotional stability. The mirror also provided personalized menstrual cycle information, helping users identify and prepare for their cycle and gain psychological stability.

What it means for you

This is a very early proof-of-concept study with only 4 women for 10 days. It is unclear whether the benefit comes from the mirror technology itself or just from smiling. Much larger studies are needed to know if this actually helps.

4

women studied

10

days of use

About the study

Original title
Smiley: Designing Smile Recognition Smart Mirror for Premenstrual Syndrome
Authors
SoYoung Ahn, Yongsoon Choi
Journal
International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction
Year
2022
Study design
Interview study
What was tested
Smile-recognition smart mirror

Topics