Our state-of-the-art hardware and software in addition to the experienced Lab team enable high-quality and efficient research projects applying neurophysiological methods.
The neurophysiological side of the lab has separate measurement and control rooms. For classical experiments without neurophysiological observations, we have a PC lab with 20 desks.
The use of neurophysiological measurements has spread to new research fields as requirements for data objectivity and richness have increased. By using neurophysiological measurements solely or beside traditional self-reported data, researchers overcome many typical biases that have been compromising the data's reliability. Originating from psychology and medical research, tools and methods that we support at the Behavioral Lab neurophysiological side are now used in top publications in all disciplines relevant to the University of St. Gallen.
For the examples of top publications ask the Lab team for the updated review.
Eye-tracking technology measures eye positions and movement, which can give insight into attentional processes, group behaviour comparisons, stimuli-induced visual responses, and more. Infrared cameras direct light at a participant's pupils, causing reflections that can reveal the eyes' movement and direction.
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GSR, also known as Electrodermal Activity or Skin Conductance, can be used to observe arousal, interest, engagement, or stress levels - responses which are beyond our conscious control. Emotional stimulation triggers sweat glands in our palms and soles, which the GSR measures to indicate the level of perspiration on the skin's surface.
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Besides its medical applications electroencephalography (EEG) can be used in a large variety of research settings relevant to University of St.Gallen scholars. By observing electrical activity from the brain of participants we can collect reliable and objective data on mental metrics such as workload, engagement, drowsiness, or alertness.
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Electrocardiography (ECG) allows for the non-invasive measurement of heart rate and heart rate variability, providing critical insights into autonomic nervous system function and emotional engagement. The measurement takes place in a non-invasive way by placing electrodes on the skin near the heart area.
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FEA measures emotions through facial expressions. The technology uses software that recognises facial features, interprets microexpressions, and aggregates them into 7 basic emotions: joy, anger, surprise, fear, contempt, sadness, and disgust. Valence describes the overall sentiment.
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Any high-resolution webcam can be used for FEA. It's also possible to post-process pre-recorded videos.
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The PC Lab provides 20 computers with headsets and cubicles to avoid eye contact, suitable for controlled, computer-based experiments such as multi-player strategy games, surveys & quizzes, and psychological experiments.
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Virtual Reality (VR) enables behaviour testing in any environment. Researchers can set up stimuli in VR/AR for testing those environments, or learn from real-world stimuli too complex or expensive to test using other methods. Most of neurophysiological measurement techniques can be used in VR/AR environment.
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This is a room with sound-proof walls and ceiling, two cameras with audio, and a one-sided mirror, ideal for conducting focus groups, interviews, studies regarding participant behaviour, and analysing team interactions.
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