Cameras as Cultural Stressors in Changing the Immune System: Implications for NASA’s Astronaut Program

Previous studies of camera effects have focused on behavior change or privacy invasion. There have also been numerous studies on the effects of stress on the body and how it effects the immune system. No one yet has attempted to link the two and how this could influence astronaut health in current or future missions. This study used salivary cortisol concentrations run through an ELISA for twelve test subjects and surveys for eighteen subjects to determine the biological stress effects of cameras. Results showed that cortisol concentrations did not differ between post on and off-camera conditions and did not differ between gender. Heart rate was found to not differ between the on and off-camera conditions and between gender with individual trends showing heart rates higher in the on-camera condition than the off-camera. This study proposes that cameras on current and future missions be turned off during certain times and places to further study this effect.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Anthropology

Grantor

University of Houston

Year dc:date.issued

2018

Author dc:creator

• Dollinger, Christina

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Storey, Rebecca

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Hutchinson, Janis F.
• LaVoy, Emily C.

• NASA
• Cameras
• Cortisol
• Stress

Statement dc:rights

• The author of this work is the copyright owner. UH Libraries and the Texas Digital Library have their permission to store and provide access to this work. Further transmission, reproduction, or presentation of this work is prohibited except with permission of the author(s).

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10657/4062

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:uh-ir.tdl.org:10657/4062