Can EEG data explain the effects of emotion on visual search tasks?

Abstract

It is beneficial for the information system to provide its users a right amount of contextually important information at a right time. In order to realize this, cognitive and emotional information processing characteristics of a human should be carefully taken into consideration while designing such a system. The objective of the current study was to examine if individuals' emotional state influences their visual search performance. Nine emotional states were defined by the levels of valence (negative/neutral/positive) and arousal (low/neutral/high). A total of 15 younger individuals (7 male/8 female) completed two sessions. In the first session, each individual rated 60 emotional stimuli followed by a fixation cross, in terms of valence and arousal by using the Self Assessment Manikin (SAM). In the second session, each individual performed target search tasks after being exposed to emotional pictures. Tasks difficulty (low/medium/high) was manipulated by changing the number (8 or 16), shape (two types), or color (two types) of visual stimuli that were circularly arrayed. In order to assess both top-town and bottom-up cognitive processes, both target-present and target-absent stimuli were tested at each difficulty level. On each session, 21-channel EEG data were collected. The effects of valence, arousal, and task difficulty on accuracy, reaction time, and ERP P3 components over the parietal area were all significant (p≤0.046). Search accuracy was the highest in the neutral-arousal, positive-valence state, while reaction time was the shortest in the neutral-arousal, negative-valence state. ERP P3 components increased as accuracy increased, and reaction time decreased. From the results of this study, it can be inferred that individual motivational experiences are connected to cognitive performances and inhibition and facilitation of neural activities.