The CONTEXT project (CONTEXTualized emotion bioregulation training for professionals and youth at risk) aims to develop innovative, personalised interventions that help individuals recognise early signals of stress in their own bodies. Using smartwatches linked to emotion regulation techniques practised in virtual reality, participants learn to respond more effectively in tense situations, ultimately preventing conflicts from escalating.
Dr Floris Klumpers (Radboud University Behavioural Science Institute and Donders Institute), who leads the project, explains: “The CONTEXT project is truly special because we are studying two groups that increasingly find themselves on opposite sides of societal tensions: police and young people with a history of aggression. We expect to uncover not only differences but also important similarities in the neurobiological mechanisms that govern emotion regulation and can sometimes lead to escalation. Crucially, we are looking beyond individual biology to consider how different contexts shape behaviour. We have assembled a fantastic national team of leading scientists and young talents who will work together with partners in security, education, and healthcare to really make a difference.”
Translating 10 years of research into intervention
From the Donders Institute, Karin Roelofs, Erno Hermans and Florian Krause will each contribute their expertise. Prof. Erno Hermans: “This NWA grant gives us a unique opportunity to leverage cutting-edge cognitive neuroscience research to optimise biofeedback-based emotion regulation methods”. Prof. Karin Roelofs, who has conducted research with dr. Klumpers in Dutch police for over a decade, leads a work package focusing on police officers: “Thanks to this NWA grant, we can translate insights from more than 10 years of fundamental neurocognitive research at the Donders Institute into an effective intervention. Together with police officers, we’ll optimise, implement and evaluate our dual closed-loop intervention. Uniquely, we’ll also look at interactions between police and youth.”
The CONTEXT consortium brings together institutions including Radboud University, Radboudumc, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Universiteit van Amsterdam and Utrecht University, along with societal stakeholders such as the National Police, Bureau Halt and MIND Us, ensuring that scientific insights can quickly find their way into real-world applications.