scholarly journals Crowdsourcing neuroscience: inter-brain coupling during face-to-face interactions outside the laboratory

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne Dikker ◽  
Georgios Michalareas ◽  
Matthias Oostrik ◽  
Amalia Serafimaki ◽  
Hasibe Melda Kahraman ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTWhen we feel connected or engaged during social behavior, are our brains in fact “in sync” in a formal, quantifiable sense? Most studies addressing this question use highly controlled tasks with homogenous subject pools. In an effort to take a more naturalistic approach, we collaborated with art institutions to crowd-source neuroscience data: Over the course of 5 years, we collected electroencephalogram (EEG) data from thousands of museum and festival visitors who volunteered to engage in a 10-minute face-to-face interaction. Pairs of participants with various levels of familiarity sat inside the Mutual Wave Machine—an art/science neurofeedback installation that uses Brain-Computer Interface technology (BCI) to translate real-time correlations of each pair’s EEG activity into light patterns. Because such inter-participant EEG correlations are prone to noise contamination, in subsequent offline analyses we computed inter-brain synchrony using Imaginary Coherence and Projected Power Correlations, two synchrony metrics that are largely immune to instantaneous, noise-driven correlations. When applying these methods to two subsets of recorded data with the most consistent protocols, we found that pairs’ trait empathy, social closeness, engagement, and social behavior (joint action and eye contact) consistently predicted the extent to which their brain activity became synchronized, most prominently in low alpha (∼7-10 Hz) and beta (∼20-22 Hz) oscillations. These findings support an account where shared engagement and joint action drive coupled neural activity and behavior during dynamic, naturalistic social interactions. To our knowledge, this work constitutes a first demonstration that an interdisciplinary, real-world, crowdsourcing neuroscience approach may provide a promising method to collect large, rich datasets pertaining to real-life face-to-face interactions. Additionally, it is a demonstration of how the general public can participate and engage in the scientific process outside of the laboratory. Institutions such as museums, galleries, or any other organization where the public actively engages out of self-motivation, can help facilitate this type of citizen science research, and support the collection of large datasets under scientifically controlled experimental conditions. To further enhance the public interest for the out-of-the-lab experimental approach, the data and results of this study are disseminated through a website tailored to the general public (wp.nyu.edu/mutualwavemachine).

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Leneh Buckle ◽  
Kathy Leadbitter ◽  
Ellen Poliakoff ◽  
Emma Gowen

This study, called for by autistic people and led by an autistic researcher, is the first to explore ‘autistic inertia,’ a widespread and often debilitating difficulty acting on their intentions. Previous research has considered initiation only in the context of social interaction or experimental conditions. This study is unique in considering difficulty initiating tasks of any type in real life settings, and by gathering qualitative data directly from autistic people. Four face-to-face and 2 online (text) focus groups were conducted with 32 autistic adults (19 female, 8 male, and 5 other), aged 23–64 who were able to express their internal experiences in words. They articulate in detail the actions they have difficulty with, what makes it easier or harder to act, and the impact on their lives. Thematic analysis of the transcripts found four overarching themes: descriptions of inertia, scaffolding to support action, the influence of wellbeing, and the impact on day-to-day activities. Participants described difficulty starting, stopping and changing activities that was not within their conscious control. While difficulty with planning was common, a subset of participants described a profound impairment in initiating even simple actions more suggestive of a movement disorder. Prompting and compatible activity in the environment promoted action, while mental health difficulties and stress exacerbated difficulties. Inertia had pervasive effects on participants’ day-to-day activities and wellbeing. This overdue research opens the door to many areas of further investigation to better understand autistic inertia and effective support strategies.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Leneh Buckle ◽  
Kathy Leadbitter ◽  
Ellen Poliakoff ◽  
Emma Gowen

This study, called for by autistic people and led by an autistic researcher, is the first to explore ‘autistic inertia’, a widespread and often debilitating difficulty initiating action. Previous research has considered initiation only in the context of social interaction or experimental conditions. This study is unique in considering difficulty initiating tasks of any type in real life settings, and by gathering qualitative data directly from autistic people. Four face-to-face and 2 online (text) focus groups were conducted with 32 autistic adults (19 female, 8 male, 5 other), aged 23-64 who were able to express their internal experiences in words. They articulate in detail the actions they have difficulty with, what makes it easier or harder to act, and the impact on their lives. Thematic analysis of the transcripts found four overarching themes: descriptions of inertia, scaffolding to support action, the influence of wellbeing, and the impact on day-to-day activities. Participants described difficulty starting, stopping and changing activities that was not within their conscious control. While difficulty with planning was common, a subset of participants described a profound impairment in initiating even simple actions more suggestive of a movement disorder. Prompting and compatible activity in the environment promoted action, while mental health difficulties and stress exacerbated difficulties. Inertia had pervasive effects on participants’ day-to-day activities and wellbeing. This overdue research opens the door to many areas of further investigation to better understand autistic inertia and effective support strategies.


2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maja Klun ◽  
Renata Slabe Erker

Within the concept of sustainable agriculture, the two fields of administration of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment come face to face, resulting in a number of social implications. In order to provide assistance in the shaping, execution and assessment of sustainable activities, in this article we analyse the attitude of the public and farmers towards sustainable development in agriculture. The results reveal that in Slovenia, sustainable agriculture has support not only on the level of declarations, but also among the public. Statistically significant differences between the general public and farmers can be noted in the groups’ respective understandings of the sustainable advancement of agriculture in the field of the environment. In parallel to this, a rift can be noted between support for sustainable agriculture in principle and in practice. For this reason, it would be wise to consider shifting the focus of agricultural policy measures from environmental sustainability to social sustainability and the survival of farmers, along with an emphasis on positive environmental information regarding Slovenian farmers.


Author(s):  
Chris J. Budd

In this chapter I will address the issue that whilst mathematics is vital to all of our lives, playing a vital role in modern technology and even helping us to understand the brain, it is often perceived to be a dry, boring, and useless subject. The chapter will explore various ways that mathematics can be presented to the general public in a way that makes it seem to be exciting and relevant, and captures its essence without dumbing it down. In particular it will look at strategies that have been shown to work well with the public including the use of careful real life examples and relating maths to people, hands on maths at science fairs, and maths in the media and on the Internet. The chapter includes some case studies of what does and does not work in the field of maths communication.


2010 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 60-65
Author(s):  
Francine Wenhardt

Abstract The speech-language pathologist (SLP) working in the public schools has a wide variety of tasks. Educational preparation is not all that is needed to be an effective school-based SLP. As a SLP currently working in the capacity of a program coordinator, the author describes the skills required to fulfill the job requirements and responsibilities of the SLP in the school setting and advises the new graduate regarding the interview process and beginning a career in the public schools.


Author(s):  
Eddy Suwito

The development of technology that continues to grow, the public increasingly facilitates socialization through technology. Opinion on free and uncontrolled social media causes harm to others. The law sees this phenomenon subsequently changing. Legal Information Known as Information and Electronic Transaction Law or ITE Law. However, the ITE Law cannot protect the entire general public. Because it is an Article in the ITE Law that is contrary to Article in the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia.


Author(s):  
Mary Cavanagh

The face to face interactions of reference librarians and reference assistants are studied from a theoretical practice perspective. Rather than reinforcing professional boundaries, the results of this analysis support reference practice in public libraries as a highly relational activity where reference “expertise” retains a significant subjectivist, relational dimension.Les interventions en personne des bibliothèques de référence et des adjoints à la référence sont étudiées du point de vue de la pratique théorique. Plutôt que de renforcer les frontières interprofessionnelles, les résultats de cette analyse appuient l'idée que les pratiques de référence en milieu public sont des activités hautement relationnelles où l'expertise de la référence conserve une dimension subjectiviste et relationnelle. 


Author(s):  
Sica Septyenthi ◽  
Aprizal Lukman ◽  
Upik Yelianti

Vocational high school consists of face-to-face learning and dual education system. Learning and dual education system may be either industrial work practices held for 3 or 6 months.During dual education system students can not attend face-to-face learning teaching material that students need to be able to learn independently. Specifically, learning science that students need to learn about the environment and its benefits for students.The purpose of this research is to develop instructional materials in the form of science module which helps students to learn independently and determine the response of vocational students to the science learning modules. Modules developed based entrepreneurship and contextual material with real life needs or students. The material presented is structured to support student entrepreneurship in order to be fit for purpose namely vocational work. This module development research design using the design development of Richey and Klein with Dick and Carey model for the development phase of the module material. Results of test responses of teachers and students concluded that the module gets a very good response, interesting and appropriate to the needs of students. Then the module materials can help students cultivate skills become entrepreneurs.


Based on personal accounts of their experiences conducting qualitative and quantitative research in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa, the contributors to this volume share the real-life obstacles they have encountered in applying research methods in practice and the possible solutions to overcome them. The volume is an important companion book to more standard methods books, which focus on the “how to” of methods but are often devoid of any real discussion of the practicalities, challenges, and common mistakes of fieldwork. The volume is divided into three parts, highlighting the challenges of (1) specific contexts, including conducting research in areas of violence; (2) a range of research methods, including interviewing, process-tracing, ethnography, experimental research, and the use of online media; and (3) the ethics of field research. In sharing their lessons learned, the contributors raise issues of concern to both junior and experienced researchers, particularly those of the Global South but also to those researching the Global North.


Author(s):  
Vito Tanzi

This book deals with practical or real life aspects of public finance. It focuses on the growth in the activities of governments, in a world that expects more than in the past from governments. The book focuses on the growing complexity in both the work of the private market and that of the public sector. It stresses that part of the growing complexity is due to the more ambitious role that governments tried to play today, while part is due to choices made by governments, so that complexity may be partly avoidable. This was important in the different pursuit of social welfare by different countries. Complexity has increased opportunities for abuses, for rent seeking, and for mistakes in policies. It may also have increased the attraction of populist policies that claim to offer magical or easy solutions to problems. A major conclusion of the book is that the objective of simplicity in laws and in policies should be given more importance by both economists and governments.


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