Final Video

Here's a link to my final video named "Summary." Hope you enjoy it!
http://energylab.hpa.edu/public/college/alina_sabyr/

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Final Weblog Report

This year I continued working on brain research. Last year I started off my independent brain research by focusing on studying factors that influence test taking. However, I realized that it was too broad of a topic and difficult to collect accurate data so I decided to switch to a more specific project: "The Color Project." The purpose of my project is to find an associated brain pattern with primary colors of light: green, blue and red. Questions like "Do you see same red color as me?" inspired me to conduct this study. The tools that I use for my project are a cardboard color set up, EPOC+ EEG headset, MUSE headset, EmotivLifeSciences app, MUSE Calm app and saline solution. The way I conducted my research was I collected data from people and analyzed the graphs. By analyzing the frequencies of the graphs, I could tell how active brain is when looking at a certain color. I focused on temporal cortex and occipital lobe because those are the parts of the brain mainly responsible for color processing. What I learned from collecting data from EEG is that there is no definite pattern associated with each color but frequencies between colors for each person differ. This proves that our brain reacts differently to different colors. I tested on two color-blind people using MUSE and EEG. According to data collected from EEG frequencies for all three colors were same or differed in 1 Hz and frequencies were overall lower compared to those of other people. However, I did not collect data from enough people to draw any conclusions. Still I found this information and results interesting.

When the EmotivLifeSciences app didn't work or the EEG headset would not connect, I used MUSE to help me with my research. MUSE Calm app sorts data into 1 min intervals and shows how calm, active or neutral brain is in that interval. By looking at the graphs from Calm app, I could clearly see which color triggered activity or calmness. According to data I collected from the MUSE Calm app, people tend to be calm when looking at colors they like and active looking at colors that they do not like.

I enjoyed working on "The Color Project" this year and I cannot believe that this school year is over. Last few weeks I was also thinking about some suggestions for developing this project. One of the ideas that came up to me was to use colored glasses to figure out brain responses to red, blue or green environments. This project has many potentials for practical uses. It is a stepping stone to understanding how color can be applied to help people.

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Week 33 Summary

This week was quite short because we only had two class periods and during one of them I was taking an AP exam. This week I wrote a summary of my project for the presentation that I gave on Tuesday. On tuesday I presented my project to Mr. Ferrell and visitors from other countries.

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Wednesday, May 13

Today I took AP English Language and Composition exam.

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Monday, May 11

Today Kieu-Giang and I wrote a write up about EEG research:

This year several HPA students have been working on brain research using EEG (electroencephalography) method. Wide range of topics is covered by these independent projects, from color and sound perception to learning behaviors and even studying Alzheimer’s disease. We have the opportunity to work with innovative equipments in brain research field such as the MUSE, a brain-sensing headband and Emotiv EPOC+, a scientific contextual EEG etc. Such advanced technology allows the students to explore this new subject of neuroscience combined with psychology beyond regular classroom environment.

Alina Sabyr, class of 2015, works on “The Color Project.” Alina became first involved in brain research her junior year. She started off by studying factors that affect test-taking performance. However, as she realized that subject of learning is a very broad topic, she in collaboration with Jessica Chow, class of 2014, decided to switch to concentrate on colors. The purpose of her project is to identify brain patterns associated with primary colors of light (blue, green and red). She uses frequency graphs from EmotivLifeSciences application and information collected by the MUSE Calm app to analyze brain activity stimulated by these three colors. This project is a stepping-stone to understanding how color can be used to improve people’s daily lives.

Kieu-Giang Nguyen, class of 2016, investigates on the “Stroop Effect” – a psychological demonstration of interference in the reaction time of a task: when the name of a color is printed in a color not denoted by the name, naming the color of the word takes longer and is more prone to errors than when the color of the ink matches the name of the color. By experimenting on brain activities with the techniques of EEG, she expects to learn more about the characteristics and effects of reacting behaviors on the base of Stroop effect, therefore understanding how each part of the brain functions and learning ability of different groups of people. Kieu-Giang is the founder of this project and she will be leading the EEG team next year. She hopes to inspire other students at HPA to discover this interesting yet challenging world of neuroscience.

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Week 32 Summary

This week I analyzed the data from Sarah and I also had the chance to present at Waimea community meeting on thursday. the presentation went well and I'm glad I had an opportunity to further improve my presentational skills and to share things about my project with others. Next week I'm going to collect more data and analyze all of the old data that collected using EPOC.

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Friday, May 8

Analysis for color red for Sarah:



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Wednesday, May 6

Analysis for color green for Sarah:


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Monday, May 4

Analysis for color blue for Sarah.



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Week 31 Summary

This week I collected more data, fixed my set up, organized data collected from MUSE and came up with ideas for developing my project. Next week I am planning on analyzing the data and finalizing my results to come to some type of conclusion if possible.
Happy first day of May!

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Friday, May 1

Today I collected data using the EPOC+ and EmotivLifeSciences app. I decided to use it instead of testbench because I haven't figured out how to properly save data so I didn't want to loose collected data.
Here are some screen shots:
BLUE
GREEN

RED

Sarah likes colors blue and green and doesn't like color red.

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Wednesday, April 29

Five out of six people felt calm looking at the color that they like.Four out of five people's mind was more active looking at a color that they did not like.
More Calm Calm Less Calm More Active Active Less Active Name
Blue Green Red Blue Green Red Manuel
Red and Blue Green Green Green Red and Blue Red and Blue Ari
Red Green and Blue Green and Blue Green Blue Red Mailani
Green Blue Red Blue Red Green Leila
Red Blue Green Blue and Green Blue and Green Red Kieu-Giang
Blue Red Green Green Red Blue Alina
Blue Red Green Green Blue Red Tina
Blue Red Green Green Blue Red Sarah

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Monday, April 27

Today I fixed my set up from cardboard because it fell apart the last time I worked with it. I fixed the set up and planned what I was going to do these last classes to finalize results that I collected this year. I also came up with an idea: I could purchase three pairs of glasses each with colored lenses (blue, green and red). This way I wouldn't have to ask people to stare at a piece of paper because everything around them will be of that color. I think it's an incredibly convenient way to see how brain reacts to color.

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Week 30 Summary

This week I once again analyzed data that I collected using MUSE. Next week I'm planning on using the Emotiv EPOC+ headset and collecting more detailed data. I also got some ideas about how my project could be developed and continued next year.

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Friday, April 24

Today I wasn't in class because I had a BIIF tennis tournament. Unfortunately I wasn't able to collect any data because I did not take any of the headsets from the energy lab so I will post more updates next week.

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Wednesday, April 22

These past few weeks I've been working with the MUSE so I'm thinking of switching again to EPOC+ next week. I need more in-depth data to support the data and hypothesizes from the MUSE Calm app. So far with the MUSE I've noticed that when people like a color it makes him/her more calm while colors that they do not like seem to result in more active minds. One of the visiting students to energy lab suggested that I look at how colors affect humans' brains in different contexts. For example, something like studying in differently painted rooms. This might be an interesting but also hard to manage project.

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Monday, April 20

Today during class I did not collect any data but I looked at the previous data. Here is the analysis of Tina's data:

Activity: green>blue>red
Calmness: blue>red>green

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Week 29 Summary

This week I updated the MUSE Calm application, tried the XavierSDK and collected data outside of class. In the earlier posts I posted screenshots of data that I collected from Sarah but I also collected another set of data from Tina on Friday. Now that I do not have anyone to collect data from during B period I will more frequently collect data outside of class (in the evenings, weekends or during B periods outside of energy lab).

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Friday, April 17

Today I updated the MUSE app this is what the new version looks like:
Also, I copied the XavierTestbench and Control Panel to the server so that we can have access to it from any computer.


I also tried out the new MUSE calm app and explained our brain research to one of the visiting students.
I looked at Sarah's data but the new app doesn't sort data into tables so I'd have to wait until monday to see the data in a different format.
Activity: Green>Blue>Red
Calmness: Blue>Red>Green


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Wednesday, April 15

I took the MUSE to test on people in the dorms but the MUSE had very low battery so today I brought it to class again to charge. It has to charge about 4 hours so I'm leaving the headset until I come back to the energy lab during E period.
On thursday I collected data from Sarah in the dorms.
Here is a screen shot:


Additional notes:
Sarah likes green and blue.
Red is ok.


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