The application of mobile EEG to the study of product perception
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Liverpool
Department Name: Institute of Psychology Health & Society
Abstract
Real-world neuroimaging using mobile EEG technology is a novel approach that provides continuous information about ongoing brain activity in natural environments. Mobile EEG opens up new possibilities to investigate neural responses during spontaneous behavioural reactions, emotional states, or social interactions. However, the technology also faces a number of methodological difficulties associated with presence of a large number of artefacts, such as eye movements, muscle activity, and gross head movements. This studentship aims to develop a methodological basis for behavioural and cognitive studies of product preferences. The project comprises a) building a methodological and technical basis for mobile recordings of high-density EEG and associated data analysis during initial two years, and b) application of mobile EEG to study product preferences in the final 2 years.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Andrej Stancak (Primary Supervisor) | |
| Hannah Roberts (Student) |
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP/P510567/1 | 01/10/2016 | 30/09/2021 | |||
| 1794929 | Studentship | EP/P510567/1 | 01/10/2016 | 31/03/2021 | Hannah Roberts |
| Description | My first experiment revealed that using eye tracking and mobile EEG techniques, eye movement related potentials could be measured for products in a quasi-realistic setting. We suggest that the parietal P200 component may be associated with an attention allocation mechanism that distinguishes between products of different value. Using independent component analysis (ICA), it was observed that the parietal P200 component separated subjectively low value products from both medium value products and high value products, indicating that at an early stage in the valuation process, low value items may be categorized as aversive. My second experiment was an extension of the first experiment and we expanded the retail price categories in order to try and spatio-temporally distinguish between all value conditions as the role of medium value and high value products was unclear in study one. We also developed a method for identifying a pattern of eye movements in the EEG and removing them and developed a new processing pipeline for analysis of the data using EEGLAB in order to further clean the data. The results of this experiment are being finalized. I have also completed an experiment examining economic decisions within a realistic shop setting for real 3D products, and the data is currently being processed and analysed. |
| Exploitation Route | We have shown for the first time that the use of mobile EEG and eye tracking techniques are useful for exploring economic value-related decisions in quasi-realistic scenarios (while participants move freely in an environment). The next steps would be to replicate these findings in a more ecologically valid setting and to continue to improve signal processing techniques to ensure that later event-related potentials (ERPs) can also be investigated, as these may also be important to the valuation process. |
| Sectors | Creative Economy,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Education,Electronics,Financial Services, and Management Consultancy,Retail |
| Description | IPHS conference day |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | I have attended the annual IPHS conference day in 2017 and 2018 and presented the results from my experiments. This is attended by all IPHS postgraduates and research staff. I was able to discuss my research with other students and researchers and answer any questions. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017,2018 |
| Description | Neuroadaptive Technology presentation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | I did a 30-minute presentation entitled 'Examining Economic Decisions for Household Products using Mobile EEG' which focussed on the results of my second experiment. I explained the background regarding value-based decisions, the importance of examining economic decisions in the context in which they occur as we are embodied decision-makers, and explained the methodological framework for our experiments. I discussed the analysis pipeline and the results and explained what this meant in terms of value-based decision making, as well as future research steps for my third experiment. This was met with interest and I was asked to include an adaptation of my work as part of their edited collection. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | open days |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | I have attended a number of open days (applicant discovery days) and have given a tour of the EEG labs, as well as a brief talk about what EEG is and how we can use it. I also explained my research and how I have used EEG to examine my research question. I also demonstrated how we use the equipment and answered any questions. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016,2017,2018,2019 |