cognitive and brain science Please follow the instruction as closely as possible, I really just want the introduction, discussi

COGS100 Lab Report

OBJECTIVE Write a highly structured report designed to help you think critically about research in neuroscience and develop skills to communicate scientific information in a clear and concise manner.

OVERVIEW Communicating scientific information is an important part of the scientific process. The results of experiments have little use if they cannot be communicated effectively to other researchers or the public at large. Scientific communication will therefore be a required part of your lab experience. For each lab, you will be asked to write a short report that follows the format of a publishable scientific article.

The research reports serve two main purposes. First, they give you an intimate understanding of the widely accepted format of scientific papers. By practicing writing in this format, you will not only prepare yourself for a potential research career, but you will gain a much deeper understanding of how scientific information is presented. Second, they give you practice communicating information clearly and concisely in written form. For each report, we will provide you with feedback designed to improve your future writing.

SPECIFICS

• Lab reports should be 600 words (2 pages double-spaced 12-pt font) maximum.

• Lab reports should be submitted electronically via Turnitin on the COGS100 iLearn site. No paper submissions will be accepted. Consult iLearn for specific submission deadlines.

• Lab reports should be divided into 4 separate (labelled) sections (Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion). Each section is worth 25%.

• Introduction: The Introduction section should state the hypothesis that you tested. If relevant, identify the variables that were manipulated (independent variables) and those that were measured (dependent variables). The hypothesis might be stated in terms of the expected effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable. (25%)

• Methods: The Methods section should provide enough detail for someone else to replicate your experiment. Clearly describe the techniques used, the experimental paradigm, and what controls are in place. You cannot describe every detail, so emphasize those aspects of your experiment that are critical to the testing of your hypothesis. You can assume that the reader has basic familiarity with the standard tools of the field. For example, you don’t have to explain how EEG works and what it measures. Methods sections are written primarily in the past tense. (25%)

• Results: The Results section should communicate the main findings of your experiment (using graphs/tables/figures where appropriate). (25%)

• Discussion: The Discussion section should (1) provide an interpretation of the findings in the context of the existing scientific literature, (2) comment on the significance of your findings, (3) discuss potential limitations of the study. It may also outline future experiments that overcome these limitations. (25%)

DEPARTMENT OF COGNITIVE SCIENCE Faculty of Human Sciences

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COGS 100 Lab 1 – SAMPLE LAB REPORT

Cognitive Sciences (Macquarie University)

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COGS 100 Lab 1 – SAMPLE LAB REPORT

Cognitive Sciences (Macquarie University)

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COGS100 Lab-report 1

Measuring N170’Potential Via Gaming

EEG System Jason He (45182043)

1. Introduction

The N170 is a face sensitive even-related potential (ERP) that occurs over the occipito-temporal

region of the brain at around 170-ms. N170’s not only gives larger response to faces than to objects

but is also sensitive to face inversion, N170 onset is delayed significantly when face in inverted

(DeLissa et al, 2015). It is hypothesized that:

1.N170 is larger in response to faces than to other objects.

 H0 (null hypothesis): N170 response to faces and objects is the same.

 H1(alt hypothesis): N170 response to faces is larger than the N170 response to objects.

2.N170 is sensitive to face inversion, which delays N170 onset.

 H0 (null hypothesis): N170 onset is not sensitive to face inversion, which does not delay

N170 onset.

 H1(alt hypothesis): N170 response to inverted faces is delayed.

Independent variables: upright or inverted images of human faces or watches.

Dependent variables: N170 size (=amplitude)

N170 time (=latency)

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2. Methods:

Three Cognitive and brain science undergraduates undertook the experiment. One being the

experimental subject and two records relevant details during the process of the experiment.

2.1. Experiment set up

Multiple cylinder-shaped cotton balls are soaked in saline solution. The soaked cotton balls are

then inserted into the electrodes of EPOC headset which was later put on the participant’s head.

The headset is connected to a desktop and data was recorded via TestBench software.

2.2 Stimuli

Participant was asked to sit in front of the desktop as stimuli were presented on the desktop. The

stimuli were 30 upright and inverted images of human faces and wrist watches. The stimulus began

with a 500-ms black background that had a fixation cross in the center. Then it immediately

changed to a 200-ms upright or inverted image of face or watch followed by black screen until

response, the participant was asked to indicate whether the image was upright or inverted by

clicking 2 different keys on the keyboard. After response, a 2000-ms ‘blink’ screen came up before

the commencement of a new trial.

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3. Results

Figure 1 compares the waveforms generated by N170 ERP when stimulated by images of

upright faces or upright watches. As illustrated, at around 200-ms, the waveforms generated by

faces (Red) is significantly larger than to watches as it has a larger amplitude. N170 had an active

response to upright faces but passive response to watches.

Figure 2 compares the waveforms generated by N170 when stimulated by images of inverted

faces or watches. In comparison to figure 1, in figure 2, the N170 response is slightly delayed when

exposed to inverted face, however the waveform produced by inverted faces is still larger than

inverted watches.

4.Discussion

In sum, the results indicate that the N170 ERP exhibits sensitivity to face than to objects

(DeLissa et al, 2015). Mean amplitude and peak amplitude of the waveforms generated by face

stimuli is larger than to watches stimuli. Also, N170 onset is delayed in response to inverted faces.

These results successfully demonstrated the two key effects of the N170. It has proved the

reliability of the EPOC EEG system and support the use of such inexpensive system as an

alternative to research-grade system for studies in face processing (DeLissa et al, 2015). Potential

3

Faces

Figure 2Figure 1

Amplitude (V)Amplitude (V)

Latency (m/s)

Latency (m/s)

Watches

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limitations of this study could be the placement of the electrodes, electrodes might not be placed in

desired locations for indexing N170 due to humanly operations to the headset. To prevent such

error, future experiments would benefit from having a more structured electrode placement for the

EPOC headset to prevent undesired electrode movement.

References:

Badcock, N., De Lissa, P., McArthur, G,. Sorensen, S., Thie, J. (2015). Measuring the face-

sensitive N170 with a gaming EEG system: A validation study. Journal of Neuroscience Methods,

253 (2015), 47–54. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jneumeth.2015.05.025

4

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COGS lab report 1

Psychology (Macquarie University)

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COGS lab report 1

Psychology (Macquarie University)

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EEG experiment

Introduction

The human brain is an extraordinary organ that contributes to all aspects of human

functioning and many specific areas control different emotions, actions and memory.

In this experiment the N170, an event-related potential (ERP), reveals significant

response in neural activity to the recognition of faces. This experiment also conducted

by De Lissa, Sorenson, Badcock and Thie, (2015) contribute to the verification of the

role of N170 in the perception of faces. The testing hypothesis was that the N170 is

larger in response to faces than other objects. This was tested against the identification

of watches both inverted and upright contributing to the validity of the hypothesis.

The second hypothesis tested was that N170 is sensitive to face inversion resulting in

delays in the onset of the N170. Inverted and upright faces were used to test axonal

performance. The dependent variables that were measured included the amplitude of

the potential in N170 and its latency. The independent variable that was manipulated

was the stimuli of upright and inverting of faces and watches.

Method

One student participant had the role of wearing the electrode cap, using their brain

recordings to test the ERP. The EEG electrode cap was connected to the EEG system

that presented results of the stimuli on the desktop via TestBench software. This event

marking system was added to the commercial gaming emotive epoc, significant for

the detection of axonal responses. 16 electrodes in the cap had dental rolls soaked in

saline solution and placed between the electrodes and the participant’s scalp. The

electrodes situated on the mastoid bones were considered as reference electrodes and

these were important for testing impedance. Once all electrodes indicated green on

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TestBench, the experiment began by revealing upright and inverted faces and

watches, randomly. In total, 300 images were shown. The participant’s job was to

press F for face and W for watch on the keyboard whenever the corresponding image

was shown on the screen. The EEG signal for the participant’s brain activity was then

recorded. This experiment was conducted three times.

Results

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Graph 1 reveals the reaction reached N170 when stimulated by images of faces

whereas it didn’t in response to watches. The red line indicated this.

Graph 2 depicts the difference in brain activity when stimulated by inverted and

upright faces. The red line demonstrates that inverted faces delayed in reaching N170

than the reaction for upright faces.

Discussion

The significance of the findings in this experiment validates the hypothesis that the

N170 is relational with facial recognition. The axonal response to detecting faces

shows large potential concluding that this part of the brain is responsible for

identification of faces in comparison to watches, recognizing that the N170 is not

powered by complexity. Correspondingly, as both tasks for identifying watches and

faces were the same, this concludes that the N170 is also not powered by task

demands. The N170 response was also delayed for inverted faces, supporting the

hypothesis of the experiment. The amplitude of the N170 for both upright and

inverted faces were similar, elucidating that facial recognition is disrupted by

inversion. This may however indicate that the N170 is involved in developing face

structure and not recognition. As a result, the experiment’s validity was contributed

by performing the task three times and replicated by numerous scientists who also

demonstrate the same results. In spite of that, in order to further verify the results,

subjects placed in a quiet room with no distraction could have assisted with the

amount of talk or movement that hindered the findings. Other limitations of the

findings are that the EEG is correlational and not causal.

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References

De Lissa, Peter, Sörensen, Sidsel, Badcock, Nicholas, Thie, Johnson, McArthur,

Genevieve, & Macquarie University. Department of Cognitive Science.

(2015). Measuring the face-sensitive N170 with a gaming EEG system : A

validation study.

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