Replicating a study on “Predicting Memory Encoding” using the OpenBCI EEG Device.
During one of our garage hacknights, my friends Pierre, Zhannar, and I decided to attempt to replicate this study
This study was introduced to me and Pierre at the BCI Meeting conference. The BCI Society hosts this conference every three years in Asilomar, California.
It was a great way to spend a rainy afternoon in San Francisco. Pierre was quick to make a write up, so I will simply copy the link to that right up Here.
The premise of the experiment is this:
encoding memory has a ‘noticeable’ affect, which can be measured and identified through an EEG device.
We thought we could take advantage of this premise and create an integration with the opensource flashcard application Anki. The user would create flashcards, and record their EEG signals while going through the flashcards. If this ‘encoding signature’ was not present during the review of the flashcard, then the Anki program would tag this card for later review.
Implementing the experiment was easy. But our sample size was low, and no conclusive findings could really be drawn with such a small number of participants. This would be a great opportunity for further research though, as apps for monitoring memory encoding, retention, and retrieval are popoular, especially amongst students.