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Zhou W, Wu X. The impact of internal-generated contextual clues on EFL vocabulary learning: insights from EEG. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1332098. [PMID: 38371709 PMCID: PMC10873923 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1332098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024] Open
Abstract
With the popularity of learning vocabulary online among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners today, educators and researchers have been considering ways to enhance the effectiveness of this approach. Prior research has underscored the significance of contextual clues in vocabulary acquisition. However, few studies have compared the context provided by instructional materials and that generated by learners themselves. Hence, this present study sought to explore the impact of internal-generated contextual clues in comparison to those provided by instructional materials on EFL learners' online vocabulary acquisition. A total of 26 university students were enrolled and underwent electroencephalography (EEG). Based on a within-subjects design, all participants learned two groups of vocabulary words through a series of video clips under two conditions: one where the contexts were externally provided and the other where participants themselves generated the contexts. In this regard, participants were tasked with either viewing contextual clues presented on the screen or creating their own contextual clues for word comprehension. EEG signals were recorded during the learning process to explore neural activities, and post-tests were conducted to assess learning performance after each vocabulary learning session. Our behavioral results indicated that comprehending words with internal-generated contextual clues resulted in superior learning performance compared to using context provided by instructional materials. Furthermore, EEG data revealed that learners expended greater cognitive resources and mental effort in semantically integrating the meaning of words when they self-created contextual clues, as evidenced by stronger alpha and beta-band oscillations. Moreover, the stronger alpha-band oscillations and lower inter-subject correlation (ISC) among learners suggested that the generative task of creating context enhanced their top-down attentional control mechanisms and selective visual processing when learning vocabulary from videos. These findings underscored the positive effects of internal-generated contextual clues, indicating that instructors should encourage learners to construct their own contexts in online EFL vocabulary instruction rather than providing pre-defined contexts. Future research should aim to explore the limits and conditions of employing these two types of contextual clues in online EFL vocabulary learning. This could be achieved by manipulating the quality and understandability of contexts and considering learners' language proficiency levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weichen Zhou
- School of Teacher Education, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, China
| | - Xia Wu
- Department of Psychology, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, China
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Jellinek S, Fiser J. Neural correlates tracking different aspects of the emerging representation of novel visual categories. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhad544. [PMID: 38236744 PMCID: PMC10839850 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Current studies investigating electroencephalogram correlates associated with categorization of sensory stimuli (P300 event-related potential, alpha event-related desynchronization, theta event-related synchronization) typically use an oddball paradigm with few, familiar, highly distinct stimuli providing limited insight about the aspects of categorization (e.g. difficulty, membership, uncertainty) that the correlates are linked to. Using a more complex task, we investigated whether such more specific links could be established between correlates and learning and how these links change during the emergence of new categories. In our study, participants learned to categorize novel stimuli varying continuously on multiple integral feature dimensions, while electroencephalogram was recorded from the beginning of the learning process. While there was no significant P300 event-related potential modulation, both alpha event-related desynchronization and theta event-related synchronization followed a characteristic trajectory in proportion with the gradual acquisition of the two categories. Moreover, the two correlates were modulated by different aspects of categorization, alpha event-related desynchronization by the difficulty of the task, whereas the magnitude of theta -related synchronization by the identity and possibly the strength of category membership. Thus, neural signals commonly related to categorization are appropriate for tracking both the dynamic emergence of internal representation of categories, and different meaningful aspects of the categorization process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sára Jellinek
- Department of Cognitive Science, Central European University, Quellenstraße 51-55, 1100 Vienna, Austria
- Center for Cognitive Computation, Central European University, Quellenstraße 51-55, 1100 Vienna, Austria
| | - József Fiser
- Department of Cognitive Science, Central European University, Quellenstraße 51-55, 1100 Vienna, Austria
- Center for Cognitive Computation, Central European University, Quellenstraße 51-55, 1100 Vienna, Austria
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Akimoto Y, Miyake K. Examination of distraction and discomfort caused by using glare monitors: a simultaneous electroencephalography and eye-tracking study. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15992. [PMID: 37727695 PMCID: PMC10506577 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Since the COVID-19 pandemic started, remote work and education and digital display use have become more prevalent. However, compared with printed material, digital displays cause more eye fatigue and may decrease task performance. For instance, the reflections on the monitor can cause discomfort or distraction, particularly when glare monitors are used with black backgrounds. Methods This study simultaneously uses electroencephalography (EEG) and an eye-tracker to measure the possible negative effects of using a glare monitor on the illegibility of sentences. Results The experiment results showed no difference in reading time and subjective illegibility rating between glare and non-glare monitors. However, with glare monitors, eye fixation when reading lasted longer. Further, EEG beta (15-20 Hz) power variations suggested that the participants were less engaged in the reading task when a glare monitor was used with a black background. Conclusions These results indicate that the negative effects of using a glare monitor are subtle but certainly present. They also show that physiological measures such as EEG and eye tracking can assess the subtle effects in an objective manner, even if behavioral measures such as subjective illegibility ratings or reading time may not show the differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoritaka Akimoto
- Department of Information and Management Systems Engineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, Nagaoka, Japan
| | - Keito Miyake
- Department of Information and Management Systems Engineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, Nagaoka, Japan
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Han Y, Lu Y, Zuo Y, Song H, Chou CH, Wang X, Li X, Li L, Niu CM, Hou W. Substitutive proprioception feedback of a prosthetic wrist by electrotactile stimulation. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1135687. [PMID: 36895418 PMCID: PMC9989268 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1135687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective Sensory feedback of upper-limb prostheses is widely desired and studied. As important components of proprioception, position, and movement feedback help users to control prostheses better. Among various feedback methods, electrotactile stimulation is a potential method for coding proprioceptive information of a prosthesis. This study was motivated by the need for proprioception information for a prosthetic wrist. The flexion-extension (FE) position and movement information of the prosthetic wrist are transmitted back to the human body through multichannel electrotactile stimulation. Approach We developed an electrotactile scheme to encode the FE position and movement of the prosthetic wrist and designed an integrated experimental platform. A preliminary experiment on the sensory threshold and discomfort threshold was performed. Then, two proprioceptive feedback experiments were performed: a position sense experiment (Exp 1) and a movement sense experiment (Exp 2). Each experiment included a learning session and a test session. The success rate (SR) and discrimination reaction time (DRT) were analyzed to evaluate the recognition effect. The acceptance of the electrotactile scheme was evaluated by a questionnaire. Main results Our results showed that the average position SRs of five able-bodied subjects, amputee 1, and amputee 2 were 83.78, 97.78, and 84.44%, respectively. The average movement SR, and the direction and range SR of wrist movement in five able-bodied subjects were 76.25, 96.67%, respectively. Amputee 1 and amputee 2 had movement SRs of 87.78 and 90.00% and direction and range SRs of 64.58 and 77.08%, respectively. The average DRT of five able-bodied subjects was less than 1.5 s and that of amputees was less than 3.5 s. Conclusion The results indicate that after a short period of learning, the subjects can sense the position and movement of wrist FE. The proposed substitutive scheme has the potential for amputees to sense a prosthetic wrist, thus enhancing the human-machine interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yichen Han
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yinping Lu
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yufeng Zuo
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hongliang Song
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Chih-Hong Chou
- Laboratory of Neurorehabilitation Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xing Wang
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiangxin Li
- Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Lei Li
- Department of Rehabilitation, Southwest Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Chuanxin M Niu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wensheng Hou
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Bioengineering College, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
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Air Force Pilot Expertise Assessment with Regard to Mental Effort Requested during Unusual Attitude Recovery Flight Training Simulations. SAFETY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/safety8020038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Pilot training and expertise are key aspects in aviation. A traditional way of evaluating pilot expertise is to measure performance output. However, this approach provides a narrow view of the pilot’s capacity, especially with regard to mental and emotional profile. The aim of this study is hence to investigate whether neurophysiological data can be employed as an additional objective measure to assess the expertise of pilots. In this regard, it has been demonstrated that mental effort can be used as an indirect measure of operator expertise and capacity. An increase in mental effort, for instance, can automatically result in a decrease in the remaining capacity of the operator. To better investigate this aspect, we ask two groups of Italian Air Force pilots, experienced (Experts) and unexperienced (Novices), to undergo unusual attitude recovery flight training simulations. Their behavioral (unusual attitude recovery time), subjective (mental effort demand perception) and neurophysiological data (Electroencephalogram, EEG; Electrocardiogram, ECG) are collected during the entire flight simulations. Although the two groups do not exhibit differences in terms of unusual attitude recovery time and mental effort demand perception, the EEG-based mental effort index shows how Novices request significantly higher mental effort during unusual conditions.
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Sciaraffa N, Di Flumeri G, Germano D, Giorgi A, Di Florio A, Borghini G, Vozzi A, Ronca V, Varga R, van Gasteren M, Babiloni F, Aricò P. Validation of a Light EEG-Based Measure for Real-Time Stress Monitoring during Realistic Driving. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12030304. [PMID: 35326261 PMCID: PMC8946850 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12030304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Driver’s stress affects decision-making and the probability of risk occurrence, and it is therefore a key factor in road safety. This suggests the need for continuous stress monitoring. This work aims at validating a stress neurophysiological measure—a Neurometric—for out-of-the-lab use obtained from lightweight EEG relying on two wet sensors, in real-time, and without calibration. The Neurometric was tested during a multitasking experiment and validated with a realistic driving simulator. Twenty subjects participated in the experiment, and the resulting stress Neurometric was compared with the Random Forest (RF) model, calibrated by using EEG features and both intra-subject and cross-task approaches. The Neurometric was also compared with a measure based on skin conductance level (SCL), representing one of the physiological parameters investigated in the literature mostly correlated with stress variations. We found that during both multitasking and realistic driving experiments, the Neurometric was able to discriminate between low and high levels of stress with an average Area Under Curve (AUC) value higher than 0.9. Furthermore, the stress Neurometric showed higher AUC and stability than both the SCL measure and the RF calibrated with a cross-task approach. In conclusion, the Neurometric proposed in this work proved to be suitable for out-of-the-lab monitoring of stress levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolina Sciaraffa
- BrainSigns Srl, Lungotevere Michelangelo 9, 00192 Rome, Italy; (G.D.F.); (D.G.); (A.G.); (A.D.F.); (G.B.); (A.V.); (V.R.); (F.B.); (P.A.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Gianluca Di Flumeri
- BrainSigns Srl, Lungotevere Michelangelo 9, 00192 Rome, Italy; (G.D.F.); (D.G.); (A.G.); (A.D.F.); (G.B.); (A.V.); (V.R.); (F.B.); (P.A.)
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Daniele Germano
- BrainSigns Srl, Lungotevere Michelangelo 9, 00192 Rome, Italy; (G.D.F.); (D.G.); (A.G.); (A.D.F.); (G.B.); (A.V.); (V.R.); (F.B.); (P.A.)
| | - Andrea Giorgi
- BrainSigns Srl, Lungotevere Michelangelo 9, 00192 Rome, Italy; (G.D.F.); (D.G.); (A.G.); (A.D.F.); (G.B.); (A.V.); (V.R.); (F.B.); (P.A.)
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Di Florio
- BrainSigns Srl, Lungotevere Michelangelo 9, 00192 Rome, Italy; (G.D.F.); (D.G.); (A.G.); (A.D.F.); (G.B.); (A.V.); (V.R.); (F.B.); (P.A.)
| | - Gianluca Borghini
- BrainSigns Srl, Lungotevere Michelangelo 9, 00192 Rome, Italy; (G.D.F.); (D.G.); (A.G.); (A.D.F.); (G.B.); (A.V.); (V.R.); (F.B.); (P.A.)
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Alessia Vozzi
- BrainSigns Srl, Lungotevere Michelangelo 9, 00192 Rome, Italy; (G.D.F.); (D.G.); (A.G.); (A.D.F.); (G.B.); (A.V.); (V.R.); (F.B.); (P.A.)
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Ronca
- BrainSigns Srl, Lungotevere Michelangelo 9, 00192 Rome, Italy; (G.D.F.); (D.G.); (A.G.); (A.D.F.); (G.B.); (A.V.); (V.R.); (F.B.); (P.A.)
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Rodrigo Varga
- ITCL Technology Centre, C. López Bravo, 70, 09001 Burgos, Spain; (R.V.); (M.v.G.)
| | - Marteyn van Gasteren
- ITCL Technology Centre, C. López Bravo, 70, 09001 Burgos, Spain; (R.V.); (M.v.G.)
| | - Fabio Babiloni
- BrainSigns Srl, Lungotevere Michelangelo 9, 00192 Rome, Italy; (G.D.F.); (D.G.); (A.G.); (A.D.F.); (G.B.); (A.V.); (V.R.); (F.B.); (P.A.)
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
- College of Computer Science and Technology, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310005, China
| | - Pietro Aricò
- BrainSigns Srl, Lungotevere Michelangelo 9, 00192 Rome, Italy; (G.D.F.); (D.G.); (A.G.); (A.D.F.); (G.B.); (A.V.); (V.R.); (F.B.); (P.A.)
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
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