MEASUREMENT OF PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES / EEG / EMG / EOG / OTHER TECHNIQUES

Question 1

MEASURING THE BRAIN’S ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY: EEG
= Electroencephalograph

• What it is
• EEG brain wave activity (amplitude and frequency)
• What is MEASURED:
• Detects, Amplifies and Records Electrical activity of the brain in the form of brainwaves!!!!

Answer 1

• OBJECTIVE
• Measures the electrical activity of the brain
• In the form of brainwaves
• We can TELL the level of AWARENESS a person has of the environment
• Recording shows the Frequency and the Amplitude of brain wave activity

AMPLITUDE

• Measured by the size of the peaks and troughs of the brain activity
• High = Brain waves have bigger peaks and troughs
• Low = Brain waves have small speaks and troughs

FREQUENCY

• Number of brainwaves per second
• A pattern of High = greater brain activity and more brain waves per second
• A pattern of Low = slow brain activity and dewier brain waves per second

Question 2

TYPES OF BRAINWAVES (BATD)

B
A
T
D

Powerpoint: Page 14 and Page 15 (Important Tables!!)

Powerpoint: Page 18 (Important Summary Table)

Answer 2

• 4 types of brain ave ACTIVITY (beta, alpha, theta, delta)
• All having different combinations of frequency and amplitude
• BETA
• Amplitude = Low
• Frequency = High
• ALPHA
• Amplitude = Low-medium
• Frequency = Medium-high
• THETA
• Amplitude = Medium-high
• Frequency = Low-medium
• DELTA
• Amplitude = High (Highest of all brainwave types)
• Frequency = Low (Lowest of all brainwave types)

Question 3

MEASURING THE BRAIN’S ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY: EOG
= Electrooculargraph

• What is MEASURED:
• Detects, Amplifies and Records Electrical activity in the muscles that allow the eye to move !!!!

Answer 3

• Measures the electrical activity of the muscles that MOVE the eyes
• REM (Rapid eye movement)
• NREM (Non-rapid eye movement)

Question 4

MEASURING THE BRAIN’S ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY: EMG
= Electromyograph

• What is MEASURED:
• Detects, Amplifies and Records Electrical activity of muscles !!!!

Answer 4

• Measures the electrical activity of muscles
• This can indicate a stage of sleep (e.g. light sleep or deep sleep)
• This can indicate REM sleep (When we experience muscle paralysis)
• This can indicate wakefulness

Question 5

Always use DARE to describe these measures (EGG / EMG / EOG)

Answer 5

D: detects
A: amplifies
R: records
E: electrical activity

Question 6

MEASUREMENT OF SPEED AND ACCURACY ON COGNITIVE TASKS

• PVT
• Some ASC (Alcohol induced) = associated with slower reaction times, as would sleep deprivation

Answer 6

ASC: A common way to measure speed and accuracy on a cognitive task when a person is in an ASC = use of a psychometric vigilance test (PVT)
PVT: Used to measure behavioral alertness
PVT: Requires participants to respond to VISUAL stimulus and MEASURE their speed and accuracy

Question 7

SUBJECTIVE REPORTING OF CONSCIOUSNESS, INCLUDING SLEEP DIARIES

LIMITATIONS: Self-reports (Sleep diaries)

• May be the accuracy of the results
• People might not be able to remember or recall details correctly
• May also omit things or indulge things

Answer 7

• Can be an effective way to measure consciousness
• Self Reports: an individual keeping a record of their own subjective experiences (thoughts, feelings, behaviors (TFB))
• A common self report = A sleep diary
  = A log of subjective behavioral and psychological (SBP) experiences surrounding a person’s sleep

Question 8

VIDEO MONITORING

• STRENGTH
• Recording can be shown to a number of experts and the person themselves to gain CORRECT and INSIGHTFUL interpretations for OBSERVABLE behavior
• LIMITATIONS
• Sometimes results are INCONCLUSIVE
• Interpretation is subjective
• If the recording is taking in a sleep lab = It is an artificial environment. May NOT be a true representation of sleep habits at home

Answer 8

• Using infrared cameras to videotape while they are sleeping to observe any disturbances
• May show frequent WAKING, RESTLESSNESS, etc.