Who would study psychology if they didn't have some kind of problem?

Chapter 303 Unbearable Emotional Manipulation

Although the student with the buzz cut in front of him was a size smaller than Chonghui, he was still extremely tall, conservatively estimated to be 1.85 meters.

Anyway, he's taller and stronger than Nan Zhuren.

He has a very muscular build, but perhaps due to his age, he doesn't have much muscle mass, only a rather rounded, undefined, fatty muscle.

"Hello, teacher." The man with the buzz cut was very tall, but also quite reserved.

"Hello, please have a seat," Nan Zhuren said with a smile.

While observing the students' physical features, Nan Zhuren was also subconsciously collecting emotional information emanating from the students with buzz cuts in their natural state.

[Slouching, hunching over.]

There was no eye contact; their gazes met briefly and then disappeared.

[Her arms swayed unconsciously, and her steps were uncontrolled.]

[Habitually furrowing brows...]

For every person that Nan Zhuren gets to know deeply, he will leave a corresponding template in his mind.

The student with the buzz cut in front of him immediately reminded Nan Zhuren of Li Mingchen, whom he had met not long ago.

—The listless and weak demeanor caused by the torment of anorexia nervosa; and the constantly tense and helpless expression caused by anxiety disorder.

Suddenly, it was as if two shadows overlapped and merged into one before Nan Zhuren's eyes.

No, the student in front of me is relatively mild compared to others. He doesn't have the edema that comes from prolonged anorexia, and his nervousness is probably just because he's facing me, his teacher…

However, he possessed something else.

Nan Zhuren stared intently at it.

Feeling down...is it depression?

[Compared to people from the past, she's definitely less severe than Li Minglu...probably about the same as Zhang Lu?]

Nan Zhuren had his own guesses, but he kept them to himself.

After all, the first impression gained through "observation" can be affected by many unexpected factors.

For example, a survivor who has just been rescued from a car accident is far more tense and wary of their surroundings than someone with typical anxiety disorder. However, in reality, they are simply experiencing a stress response, far from having post-traumatic stress disorder.

Observation can only provide a "feeling". To gain a deeper understanding, intake interviews and even psychological diagnosis are needed to obtain detailed information.

Fortunately, the "emotion-inducing" information collection that Nan Zhuren and his team are currently implementing can be considered a simple form of psychological diagnosis in a sense.

He made up his mind.

"Next, please put on your headphones and pay attention to the center of your computer screen..." Nan Zhuren began giving instructions.

"...If you feel any discomfort or discomfort during this process, you can stop at any time."

The student with the buzz cut listened intently, far more attentively than any of the students Nan Zhuren had encountered that day.

"Alright, let's begin now—"

Nan Zhuren began showing images designed to induce emotional responses.

He stared at the student with the buzz cut more intently than he had when observing the other students earlier that day.

……

—On the basketball court, the class won the championship in the school basketball tournament, and everyone cheered and high-fived each other.

This image evokes emotions such as pride.

Her eyes darted around, and she pursed her lips.

Is this a way of restraining oneself from recalling the past? Or a sign of rejection?

—After get out of class, two girls sitting next to each other were sharing a song using a pair of headphones, their smiles radiant.

This image is intended to evoke feelings and sensations of warmth and coziness.

[While pursing his lips, he arched the corners of his mouth upwards and tilted his head back slightly. Then he looked away from the center of the screen.]

[Expressing longing, but also containing sadness and avoidance?]

—In a sunlit café, a girl is enjoying a cream cake adorned with strawberries by the window.

This image is primarily used as a relaxing transition.

[He swallowed, his pupils dilated... but then his brow furrowed, and his entire upper body arched backward.]

First came [desire], then [disgust]?

……

Nan Zhuren remained outwardly calm, but inwardly frowned.

Sure enough, the students with buzz cuts conveyed information about these emotionally manipulative images in a way that was almost entirely different from that of other students today.

This seems like a good thing, but it's also a bad thing.

Nan Zhuren continued to observe. ...

—A student is eating alone in the cafeteria with his head down, while the crowd around him is blurred and indistinct.

The image is intended to evoke feelings of loneliness, and some people may express sympathy for it.

[The inner corners of both eyebrows briefly rise, forming "sad lines," and the pupils briefly dilate.]

A certain degree of empathy.

—On the track at dusk, the students' backs are lonely, their shadows stretching long.

It is a further development of the previous image, with the aim of evoking a deeper experience of loneliness or a more profound sense of sympathy.

[Gaze freezes, then rapidly shifts time. A swallow escapes the throat, teeth clench.]

[After being caught up in painful memories, they begin to defend themselves and reject them.]

--funeral.

[Pressing her lips, slightly furrowing her brow...]

[A sadness that borders on the bland.]

……

Nan Zhuren flared her nostrils slightly as she took a deep breath.

He did not exhibit any overly unusual or violent behavior in front of the students, so as not to cause the "experimenter effect" to the students.

However, at this moment, Nan Zhuren had already seen what he wanted to see.

However, due to the need for data collection, he still has to complete the process unless the student interrupts him.

“Okay, our image presentation is finished. Next, you will hear several audio clips, and you will need to react naturally to them,” Nan Zhuren said softly.

Compared to when he came in, the student with the buzz cut was no longer reserved or nervous.

The constantly shifting emotional experiences had already made him lower his guard against Nan Zhuren and the experimental environment.

His breathing quickened slightly, and he nodded to Nan Zhuren expressionlessly.

Various recordings came through the headphones.

Mainly various natural sounds and environmental sounds.

[Swish, swish, swish] — The sound of pages turning in the classroom.

[Roar, Oh ho, Woo ah] — the noise and cheers from the stadium.

【Splash, splash, splash】—The sound of rain in nature.

[Boom] - The sound of thunder.

【Crackling, popping】—the white noise of a burning campfire.

This continued for about five minutes.

These recordings are switched in a certain order.

The man with the buzz cut constantly changed his expression throughout the process.

Among them, those soothing voices seemed unable to calm him down.

He started to get a little anxious.

The audio finished playing quickly, and the final thing that appeared was the [emotional induction material] presented in text form.

The computer screen, which had been black, lit up again, and text began to appear on it one by one.

Tomorrow is the spring outing. You check your backpack repeatedly, staring out the window hoping it will get light soon.

[As you stood up to answer the question, your chair suddenly made a screeching sound, and the whole class fell silent instantly.]

While you're in the restroom, you overhear classmates whispering behind your back, seemingly talking badly about you...

"stop!"

The student with the buzz cut suddenly shouted.

Or rather, he "finally" shouted it out.

"Teacher...please stop..."

He was breathing heavily, his hands gripping the armrests of the chair tightly, his gaze leaving the computer screen, and then he closed his eyes.

His entire face was contorted with effort, as if he were trying to expel something from his brain.

Nan Zhuren silently turned off the video recorder, then stood up and pulled his chair over to the right of the student with the buzz cut.

Create a familiar space with seating in a psychological counseling room.

(End of this chapter)