BASIC RESEARCH

With our state-of-the-art equipment for measurement of user’s cognitive, affective, and physiological state, we are pursuing the following avenues of basic and applied research:

ASSESSMENT OF DISCRETE MENTAL STATES

Much of our basic research focuses on the creation of usability experimental protocols that enable us to measure discrete user states such as workload, frustration, enjoyment, flow, and surprise (i.e, the subtle feeling of surprise that you feel when the interface does something un-intuitive or unexpected).

SINGLE TRIAL ANALYSIS OF BRAIN AND PHYSIOLOGICAL DATA

We are also actively creating feature generation and machine learning methods that enable us to classify users' changing mental state on a single trial basis, while they work with an interface.

APPLIED RESEARCH

With our roots in the field of Human-Computer Interaction, we are actively applying the results of our basic research to a wide range of user-oriented applications:

EVALUATION
 OF 
USER 
INTERFACE
 DESIGNS


Our suite of cognitive, behavioral, and physiological measurement devices can provide quantitative, real-time data in order to evaluate a range of interface designs. We have experience with a variety of interfaces; from systems involving information visualization, to ubiquitous handheld devices, to more tradition interfaces on one’s personal computer.

Currently, we are teaching a usability testing course. Students are evaluating the blackboard learning system: (www.blackboard.com) that is used by professors and students on campus. Recommendations for interface design changes will be made based on the resutls of the usability evaluation.

SUSPICION AND DECEPTION DETECTION

fNIRS has shown potential in measuring deception in the brain with high levels of accuracy. We are exploring the measurement of trust and suspicion in the brain. As one example, these suspicion measurements can be used to ensure that we are training military personnel effectively to detect breaches in security. These measurements can also be used by website designers during usability studies to ensure that a given web page has an aesthetic design that makes users feel secure while using, and possibly entering sensitive information on, that particular web page.

ADAPTIVE SYSTEM DESIGN

All of our sensors can output data in real time, and we are creating analysis techniques that can work with streaming data. An exciting next direction for our research involves the creation of systems that adapt in real time based on the user's mental state.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Brain measurement can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of various training and educational programs to determine what the user's level of workload is during a learning exercise, and to determine what, if any, emotional factors are influencing the student's comprehension.