Event related potentials (ERPs)

From EuroVR Knowledge Base

Description

Event related potentials are those aspects of the electrical potential that are specifically time locked to events. ERPs are regarded as manifestations of brain activities that occur in preparation for, or in response to, discrete events (internal or external to the participant). ERP measures could be used in a wide variety of settings and across a number of different systems to provide a general indication of the mental workload and resource allocation experienced by human operators in VEs in addition to stress, strain and alertness. Thus data might enable the VE designer to evaluate the overall magnitude of processing demands imposed upon the operator. This is suggested to be of relevance in VE development since sensory conflict will interfere with resource allocation and might evoke resource trade-offs as reflected in ERPs.

Primary Reference or Source

• Mager, R., Stoermer, R., Schaerli, H., Estoppey, K.H., Bullinger, A.H., Patel, H., Stedmon, A., Nichols, S.C., D’Cruz, M. (2003). Usability test-battery manual. Deliverable for the European Commission, IST Project VIEW of the Future, IST-2000-26089.