Exploring the usage of EEG and pupil diameter to detect elicited valence

Abstract

Brain signals are a reliable information source because human beings have limited voluntary control over. We examine EEG readings as a reporting tool concerning human emotions. We examine whether readings from an eye tracker, can enhance the results. We conducted an experiment on 25 users to measure their EEG signals in response to emotional stimuli. All sensors used were off-the-shelf, to test our method using cheap sensors. We used pleasant and unpleasant videos content to elicit emotional responses. Along with Self-Assessment Mannequin (SAM), Alpha symmetry index readings, and pupil diameter, were recorded. Our results show a significant difference in the video clips eliciting different emotions. This implies that EEG can be a valid way to detect emotional state, especially when combined with eye-tracker. We conclude from our findings that EEG can be used as a platform, upon which reliable affect-aware systems and applications can be built.