Thinking Outside the Button Box: EMG as a Computer Input Device for Psychological Research

Experimental psychology research commonly has participants respond to stimuli by pressing buttons or keys. Standard computer input devices constrain the range of motoric responses participants can make, even as the field advances theory about the importance of the motor system in cognitive and social information processing. Here we describe an inexpensive way to use an electromyographic (EMG) signal as a computer input device, enabling participants to control a computer by contracting muscles that are not usually used for that purpose, but which may be theoretically relevant. We tested this approach in a study of facial mimicry, a well-documented phenomenon in which viewing emotional faces elicits automatic activation of corresponding muscles in the face of the viewer. Participants viewed happy and angry faces and were instructed to indicate the emotion on each face as quickly as possible by either furrowing their brow or contracting their cheek. The mapping of motor response to judgment was counterbalanced, so that one block of trials required a congruent mapping (contract brow to respond “angry,” cheek to respond “happy”) and the other block required an incongruent mapping (brow for “happy,” cheek for “angry”). EMG sensors placed over the left corrugator supercilii muscle and left zygomaticus major muscle fed readings of muscle activation to a microcontroller, which sent a response to a computer when activation reached a pre-determined threshold. Response times were faster when the motor-response mapping was congruent than when it was incongruent, extending prior studies on facial mimicry. We discuss further applications of the method for research that seeks to expand the range of human-computer interaction beyond the button box.

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Differences in muscular activation and fatigue for intermittent and constant load

Occupational Ergonomics ◽

10.3233/oer-2005-5105 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 43-56

Author(s):

Danuta Roman-Liu ◽

Krzysztof Kȩdzior

Keyword(s):

External Force ◽

Upper Limb ◽

Muscle Activation ◽

Regression Line ◽

Constant Load ◽

Median Frequency ◽

Experimental Conditions ◽

Emg Signal ◽

Limb Posture ◽

Muscular Activation

The aim of this study was to compare the influence of constant or intermittent load on muscle activation and fatigue. The analysis and assessment of muscular activation and fatigue was based on surface EMG measurements from eight muscles (seven muscles of the right upper limb and trapezius muscle). Two EMG signal parameters were analyzed for each of the experimental conditions distinguished by the value of the external force and the character of the load – constant or intermittent. The amplitude related to its maximum (AMP) and the slope of the regression line between time and median frequency (SMF) were the EMG parameters that were analyzed. The results showed that constant load caused higher muscular fatigue than intermittent load despite the lower value of the external force and lower muscle activation. Results suggest that additional external force might influence muscle activation and fatigue more than upper limb posture. The results of the study support the thesis that all biomechanical factors which influence upper limb load and fatigue (upper limb posture, external force and time sequences) should be considered when work stands and work processes are designed. They also indicate that constant load should be especially avoided.

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A New Remote Guided Method for Supervised Web-Based Cognitive Testing to Ensure High Quality Data

10.31234/osf.io/asc67 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Victoria Leong ◽

Kausar Raheel ◽

Sim Jia Yi ◽

Kriti Kacker ◽

Vasilis M. Karlaftis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Data Quality ◽

Response Times ◽

Psychological Research ◽

Cognitive Testing ◽

Quality Data ◽

High Quality ◽

Online Data ◽

Test Environment ◽

Web Based ◽

Cognitive Data

Background. The global COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a fundamental reexamination of how human psychological research can be conducted both safely and robustly in a new era of digital working and physical distancing. Online web-based testing has risen to the fore as a promising solution for rapid mass collection of cognitive data without requiring human contact. However, a long-standing debate exists over the data quality and validity of web-based studies. Here, we examine the opportunities and challenges afforded by the societal shift toward web-based testing, highlight an urgent need to establish a standard data quality assurance framework for online studies, and develop and validate a new supervised online testing methodology, remote guided testing (RGT). Methods. A total of 85 healthy young adults were tested on 10 cognitive tasks assessing executive functioning (flexibility, memory and inhibition) and learning. Tasks were administered either face-to-face in the laboratory (N=41) or online using remote guided testing (N=44), delivered using identical web-based platforms (CANTAB, Inquisit and i-ABC). Data quality was assessed using detailed trial-level measures (missed trials, outlying and excluded responses, response times), as well as overall task performance measures. Results. The results indicated that, across all measures of data quality and performance, RGT data was statistically-equivalent to data collected in person in the lab. Moreover, RGT participants out-performed the lab group on measured verbal intelligence, which could reflect test environment differences, including possible effects of mask-wearing on communication. Conclusions. These data suggest that the RGT methodology could help to ameliorate concerns regarding online data quality and - particularly for studies involving high-risk or rare cohorts - offer an alternative for collecting high-quality human cognitive data without requiring in-person physical attendance.

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Adjustment of Computer Input Device for Patients With Tetraplegia by Using a Mouse Cursor Locus Image

IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement ◽

10.1109/tim.2009.2015527 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 58 (7) ◽

pp. 2094-2101 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Y. Tanimoto ◽

Y. Rokumyo ◽

K. Furusawa ◽

A. Tokuhiro ◽

H. Ukida ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Input Device ◽

Mouse Cursor ◽

Computer Input

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A New Remote Guided Method for Supervised Web-Based Cognitive Testing to Ensure High Quality Data (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.28368 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Victoria Leong ◽

Kausar Raheel ◽

Jia Yi Sim ◽

Kriti Kacker ◽

Vasilis M Karlaftis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Data Quality ◽

Response Times ◽

Psychological Research ◽

Cognitive Testing ◽

Quality Data ◽

High Quality ◽

Online Data ◽

Test Environment ◽

Web Based ◽

Cognitive Data

BACKGROUND The global COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a fundamental reexamination of how human psychological research can be conducted both safely and robustly in a new era of digital working and physical distancing. Online web-based testing has risen to the fore as a promising solution for rapid mass collection of cognitive data without requiring human contact. However, a long-standing debate exists over the data quality and validity of web-based studies. OBJECTIVE Here, we examine the opportunities and challenges afforded by the societal shift toward web-based testing, highlight an urgent need to establish a standard data quality assurance framework for online studies, and develop and validate a new supervised online testing methodology, remote guided testing (RGT). METHODS A total of 85 healthy young adults were tested on 10 cognitive tasks assessing executive functioning (flexibility, memory and inhibition) and learning. Tasks were administered either face-to-face in the laboratory (N=41) or online using remote guided testing (N=44), delivered using identical web-based platforms (CANTAB, Inquisit and i-ABC). Data quality was assessed using detailed trial-level measures (missed trials, outlying and excluded responses, response times), as well as overall task performance measures. RESULTS The results indicated that, across all measures of data quality and performance, RGT data was statistically-equivalent to data collected in person in the lab. Moreover, RGT participants out-performed the lab group on measured verbal intelligence, which could reflect test environment differences, including possible effects of mask-wearing on communication. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that the RGT methodology could help to ameliorate concerns regarding online data quality and - particularly for studies involving high-risk or rare cohorts - offer an alternative for collecting high-quality human cognitive data without requiring in-person physical attendance. CLINICALTRIAL N.A.

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Evaluation of Muscle Activities on Different Type of Exercises During Prolonged Sitting

Emerging Advances in Integrated Technology ◽

10.30880/emait.2021.02.02.002 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Mohammad Shahril Salim ◽

◽

Nor Fatihah Fujrah Mohd Nawi ◽

Ahmad Faizal Salleh ◽

Nurhidayah Omar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Back Pain ◽

Muscle Activation ◽

Erector Spinae ◽

Prolonged Sitting ◽

Emg Signal ◽

Different Types ◽

Muscle Activations ◽

Internal Oblique ◽

Electrical Muscle

Electromyography (EMG) signal is an analysis of electrical signals generated during muscular contractions that have been used to measure and record electrical muscle activity usually applied for medical tests. In this research EMG signal is used to; (1) evaluate muscle activations on different gender during prolonged sitting task; (2) investigate the influence of various types of exercise during prolonged sitting on muscle activation and (3) proposed the best exercise that can help to prevent low back discomfort. Twenty subjects (10 males and 10 females) were recruited from undergraduate engineering student’s education background in UniMAP with age ranging between 20 to 24 years old. The subject must be asymptomatic back pain, normal BMI and right-handed. . Three different types of sitting, one hour per sitting were done by each subject in order to reach the goals of this study. First sitting (sitting without exercise) was conducted while second and third sitting (sitting with exercise) were done in order the investigate the effectiveness of the exercises. Two different types of exercise were performed in second and third sitting, both of exercises were chosen from Mc Kenzie’s exercise. EEGOTM sport device were used to record the EMG signal from four types of muscles which are Erector Spinae, Latissimus Dorsi, Internal Oblique and External Oblique. By comparing the Root Mean Square (RMS) values from EMG signals muscle activation during prolonged sitting and the effectiveness of performing the exercises have been evaluated based on RMS values. As the results, muscle become deactivate during prolonged sitting. The best exercise to reduce back pain discomfort is exercise type 1 (Seated Lumbar Exercise) and it is recommended to perform this exercise regularly to reduce the risk of getting hazardous disease due to prolonged sitting.

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Evaluation and optimization of vehicle pedal comfort based on biomechanics

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Part D Journal of Automobile Engineering ◽

10.1177/0954407019878355 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 234 (5) ◽

pp. 1402-1412

Author(s):

Liqing Chen ◽

Wanjun Li ◽

Yang Yang ◽

Wei Miao

Keyword(s):

Muscle Activation ◽

Resistance Coefficient ◽

Lower Limbs ◽

Accelerator Pedal ◽

Noticeable Effect ◽

The Road ◽

Emg Signal ◽

Optimal Value ◽

The Difference ◽

Point Distance

Existing research on the manipulation comfort of the cab pedal generally focuses on the completion of the pedal movement when a vehicle is at rest, with certain data collected for analysis. This paper, by taking passenger vehicles in China as the study object and in view of the actual road conditions in China and the Chinese body size, attempts to solve the problem of muscle redundancy through the maximum/minimum optimization model of muscle activation. The road test was carried out on a typical pavement in a Chinese city. The parameters of pedal stroke, pedal force, and typical Electromyography signal (EMG) signal of drivers’ lower limbs during driving were obtained, from which muscle activation degree was calculated. The obtained experimental data were used as external driving one to simulate and analyze the pedal comfort under the layout of different human percentile and different pedal parameters in an aim to obtain the optimal value. The results indicate that the difference in pedal strokes, pedal preload, pedal resistance coefficients, seat heights, and H-point distances can have a noticeable effect on muscle activation. Taking a 95th-percentile accelerator pedal as an example, with the optimal values of each parameter selected (pedal preload: 8.2 N, pedal resistance coefficient: 2.55, seat height: 0.45 m and H-point distance: 0.86 m), as the pedal strokes increase, muscle activation shows a trend of increase after initial decrease. In the common stroke of a pedal after optimization, the degree of muscle activation is significantly lower than that before optimization, indicating a decrease in muscle fatigue.

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Preferred Tempo in Performance of Repetitive Movements

Perceptual and Motor Skills ◽

10.2466/pms.1975.40.2.439 ◽

1975 ◽

Vol 40 (2) ◽

pp. 439-442 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Frank L. Smoll

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Voluntary Movement ◽

Motor Response ◽

Response Times ◽

Male And Female ◽

Repetitive Movements

Within- and between- S variability in performance of repetitive movements at a self-paced tempo was studied. Male and female Ss ( Ns = 75) performed 36 consecutive arm swings at an individually chosen tempo. Differences between Ss' selected tempos of performance were considerably greater than the amount of variation in Ss' motor response times, indicating that individuals have preferred tempos of voluntary movement which differ from those of other individuals. No sex differences were evidenced in either preferred tempo or consistency of performance.

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Enhanced emotional and motor responses to live versus videotaped dynamic facial expressions

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-73826-2 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Chun-Ting Hsu ◽

Wataru Sato ◽

Sakiko Yoshikawa

Keyword(s):

Social Interactions ◽

Facial Expressions ◽

Real Life ◽

Emotional Reactions ◽

Emg Activity ◽

Subjective Ratings ◽

Emotional Facial Expressions ◽

Facial Mimicry ◽

Corrugator Supercilii ◽

Dynamic Facial Expressions

Abstract Facial expression is an integral aspect of non-verbal communication of affective information. Earlier psychological studies have reported that the presentation of prerecorded photographs or videos of emotional facial expressions automatically elicits divergent responses, such as emotions and facial mimicry. However, such highly controlled experimental procedures may lack the vividness of real-life social interactions. This study incorporated a live image relay system that delivered models’ real-time performance of positive (smiling) and negative (frowning) dynamic facial expressions or their prerecorded videos to participants. We measured subjective ratings of valence and arousal and facial electromyography (EMG) activity in the zygomaticus major and corrugator supercilii muscles. Subjective ratings showed that the live facial expressions were rated to elicit higher valence and more arousing than the corresponding videos for positive emotion conditions. Facial EMG data showed that compared with the video, live facial expressions more effectively elicited facial muscular activity congruent with the models’ positive facial expressions. The findings indicate that emotional facial expressions in live social interactions are more evocative of emotional reactions and facial mimicry than earlier experimental data have suggested.

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