Ensemble Classifier for EEG-Based Stress Classification: An Empirical Study on Stacking Classifiers

In the last few years, combining multiple algorithms to improve the performance of machine learning models has been a common practice. However, its application to stress detection still needs to be explored. This paper uses a stacking ensemble technique to introduce a novel stress classification approach using electroencephalogram (EEG) signals. Specifically, the study evaluates the effectiveness of various classifiers, including Random Forest (RF), K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN), Gradient Boosting (GB), Naive Bayes (NB), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Logistic Regression (LR), Decision Tree (DT), and Adaboost (AB), individually and in combination with RF as the base model, for stress classification tasks. The paper uses the SAM40 Dataset consisting of 32-channel EEG data to extract features in time and frequency domains for stress classification. The results show that the stacked classifiers outperform single classifiers, with RF + KNN providing the highest accuracy of 98.55%. The findings suggest that a stacked classifier is a promising approach for stress classification, as it can leverage the strengths of different algorithms and improve generalization performance. It holds promising future applicability in personalized stress management, healthcare interventions, and addressing societal concerns related to mental well-being.