Name:
Devices for measuring implicit behavior in social conflict and reconciliation
FiscalYear:
2013
Audience:
Science, College of
Submitter:
Wong, Alexander
Budget Manager:
Blanchard, Dominique
Project Manager:
Vallacher, Robin R
Dept. Chair:
Wolgin, David L
Local IT:
N/A
Dean:
Ivy, Russell L.
Facilities:
N/A
OIT:
Campbell, Glen R.
Year 1:
$ 23,496.67
Year 2:
$ 0.00
Year 3:
$ 0.00
Total:
$ 23,496.67
Goals
This grant proposal requests funding for devices in order to
examine patterns of emotion, arousal, and eye gaze underlying conflict and
well-being in couples. We believe novel
contributions to the study of conflict and well-being are to be found using a
complex systems perspective. We request
eye trackers, computerized emotion detection software, and physiological
arousal sensors because these types of devices offer the rich dynamic
behavioral streams necessary for examining the interdependence, feedback loops,
and patterns of synchronization that occur between couples engaged in social
interaction. It is the goal of this lab
to understand how variation in patterns of coordination in eye gaze, emotion, and
physiological arousal relate to interpersonal conflict and well-being. The requested devices can foster creative
research since they offer access to areas relatively uncommon in social
psychology. Several of their strengths
include they are direct measurements of behavior, especially implicit behavior,
they are unobtrusive, they yield densely-sampled data over fast time scales,
and they are powerful for capturing real-life behaviors in social interaction. Additionally, funding for this grant proposal
is merited by its strong resonance with the goals and signature themes of FAU’s
2012-2017 strategic plan. We thank you
for your consideration.
Requested devices for achieving these goals
Eye tracking hardware and software
Computerized emotion detection software
Physiological arousal sensor hardware
SoSoftware Integration Platform
Justification of requested devices to achieve stated goals
Computerized emotion detection software. We intend to study the
social interaction of conflict and well-being in couples directly, rather than
depending solely on indirect, static, and abstracted questionnaire methods. One of the ways we intend to achieve this
research goal is by using Noldus FaceReader software. The FaceReader software uses a neural network
algorithm to make probabilistic guesses of a participant’s emotion. The FaceReader has been shown to have high
validity, agreeing 87% with human expert observers of emotion. The input to the FaceReader is a facial
recording, either from a live interaction stream, or from an existing
video. A strength of this method is that
it can directly capture very fast emotion and valence changes in a social
interaction, much of which may be beyond conscious recall or awareness of the
participant. By recording the faces of each
partner in a conflict interaction or reconciliation interaction, we can examine
dynamic patterns of emotional coordination, lead-lag relationships, and developmental
changes.
Gaze Point GP3 eye tracker. From facilitating
informational pickup to motivating social influence, the informational role of
eye gazes in social interaction is difficult to overstate. For this reason we request eye tracking hardware
and software. There is value in the use
of eye tracker technology since they are relatively uncommon in social
psychology experiments. Secondly, eye
tracking strongly pairs with the aforementioned emotion detection software. Experiments that utilize these two
technologies in tandem can explore the coordinated interplay between gaze fixation
regions (areas of interest), fixation dynamics, and emotional response. In general, these technologies permit questions
such as how attentional, visual, and emotional resources are deployed and
coordinated differently in couples that are perpetually in conflict versus
couples with positive well-being.
Physiological arousal sensor hardware. The lab requests Basis Band sensors. These sensors are worn around the wrist to measure physiological arousal, heart rate, motion, skin temperature, and other biometrics. They can be worn comfortably for long time periods and gather physiological data unobtrusively. The Basis Band sensors complement eye tracking and the FaceReader as similar method for collecting quick changing emotional responses, which the participant may unable to articulate, over fast time scales. The Basis Band measures arousal by detecting the galvanic skin response around a participant’s wrist. Since the Basis bands are unobtrusive and can record for long intervals, they are ideal for both laboratory experiments as well daily life longitudinal sampling. The Basis Bands allows for questions of how arousal, real-life processes such as social interactions and daily events, relationships, and individual differences covary. Their utility is noteworthy in the case of conflict interactions. The dynamics of a participant’s arousal and perception of his partner’s arousal is likely to have strategic consequences in the deployment of attentional and emotional resources and coordination.
Noldus
Observer XT 11.5 and modules. Each of the
devices (eye tracker, emotion detector, arousal sensor) on its own offers a
valuable way of exploring conflict and well-being in social interactions, but
when they are combined their benefits strong reinforce one another synergistically. For this reason we request the Noldus
Observer XT and its add-on modules. The
Observer XT is an integrative platform that can launch and synchronize the Noldus
FaceReader software, the GazePoint GP3 eye tracker, and Inquisit stimulus-delivery
program. Without this automated solution
to synchronize these various external programs, there would be no manual way to
synchronize them. The Noldus Media Recorder 2.5 With the Observer XT,
we can harness the synergy of multiple time series patterns of eye gazes,
emotion, and arousal to examine covariation structures, both within and between
individuals and couples. We are prepared
to use these methods immediately given the lab’s experience in nonlinear
methods, experimental design, and analysis of dynamic and synchronized data
(e.g., multilevel modeling, fractal analyses, recurrence quantification
analysis, time series analyses, computational modeling, etc.).
We are confident that the proposed research agenda is consistent with the signature themes and goals in FAU’s strategic plan and thank you for your time and consideration of our grant proposal.
Benefits to students and the university
Goal 1: Enrich the educational
experience
Objectives
A. Enhance the quality of undergraduate
academic programs
Strategies
A.6 Expand the Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics
(STEM) initiatives
A.8 Identify and expand programs that develop in students
the talents and skills that promote economic development
A.6, A.8: Undergraduate students that work with the
requested devices (eye tracking, arousal monitors, and emotion detection) are
learning valuable skills for occupational success in both academic and
non-academic careers. For example, with
the development of eye tracker technology and the advent of cheap trackers,
many video games, electronics, and mobile devices are incorporating eye movement
and arousal as input, just as smart phones have added touch. Examples include Tobii, a major eye tracker
company, which has recently begun selling a consumer-level eye tracker meant
for video gaming, the PIP (Personal Input Pod), which is a recent biosensor
gaming platform that uses arousal (via galvanic skin response) as an input for
a therapeutic racing game, and the requested Basis Band sensor, a sports watch
that utilizes biometric data and is a consumer level health and fitness product. Experience with the requested emotion tracker
will also benefit the undergraduate psychology students that also seek
advertising, consumer psychology, or business careers. Market researchers often employ in consumer
testing the dynamic emotional response to a product as part of the development
process. Many websites, television ads,
print media are designed using the emotional response of focus groups to a
product; this is in fact one of core ways the requested FaceReader software is
widely used.
Objectives
B. Strengthen
and expand graduate programs
Strategies
B.3 Expand graduate program support in areas that strengthen
the signature themes of the university
Signature Themes
Biotechnology
Contemporary
Societal Challenges
B.4 Increase the number of terminal or doctoral degree conferrals
to levels consistent with the requirements of a RU/VH research University
B.3. This grant proposal is consistent with FAU’s goal of
achieving its signature themes of “contemporary societal challenges.” Eye tracking research, for example, enhances FAU’s
signature theme of contemporary social challenges because understanding the
patterns of how people use their eyes, where they look, and what information
they use in social interactions can ultimately be important for designing assistive
technologies in healthcare, “smart” work, home, and educational system
environments with more human artificial intelligence, software, or robotics. Emotional co-regulation also relates to FAU’s
signature theme because how people coordinate their moods with others, or use
their emotion to influence others, has valuable implications for the
contemporary societal challenge of conflict resolution, health, and positive well-being,
and in particular, the well-being of romantic relationships. Several studies illustrate this idea that
coordination of emotional and self-regulation are strongly implicated in issues
of well-being. For example, in married
adults, cyclic patterns of emotional influence in couples strongly relate to
marital satisfaction and divorce rates.
In mother-child relations, studies have shown that coordination of eye
movements between mother and child relate to the development of self-regulation
and self-control; arguably one of the strongest predictors of life
outcomes.
The proposal also coincides with FAU’s goal of achieving another
signature theme of “biotechnology,” since the requesting lab applies the complex
systems paradigm to experimental psychology.
Additionally, psychobiology is implicated by the use of the
requested devices (biometric sensors).
B.4: This grant proposal is also consistent with FAU’s goal
of achieving its graduate program objective of increasing the number of
doctoral degree conferrals befitting a very high research activity university. By adopting and maintaining a reputation of
cutting edge methodology FAU’s graduate program will attract larger numbers of
talented graduate student applicants, which in turn will lead to higher degree
conferral rates.
Goal 2: Inspire research, scholarship,
and creative activity
Objectives
A. Increase
scholarship and creativity
Strategies
A.2 Maintain and strengthen the necessary facilities,
equipment, and staff support in colleges for faculty and researchers to engage
in research, scholarship, and creative activity
A.4 Establish a pool of funds to support scholarship and
creativity in departments or individuals with the highest performance under
this objective
B. Increase funded research
Strategies
B.4 Place greater emphasis on seed money from internal
resources to develop funded research programs.
C. Enhance the regard and visibility of
our research, scholarship and creativity
A.2, A.4, B.4, C.: Cutting edge technologies, such as the
requested eye trackers, emotion detectors, and biometric sensors, allow for
novel, creative, and powerful ways to augment the more traditional methods of social
psychological research. Several of the
advantages and unique properties of these methods are as follows. These methods are capable of direct
measurements of both explicit and implicit behavior. The measurements occur over ultrafast time
scales that are uncommon in social psychology experiments, particularly for
behaviors other than reaction times. These
methods can stretch the power of traditional questionnaire assessments in
exploring the rich coordinated and dynamic behavior of real interactions of
multiple subjects in a social situation.
Moreover, the utility and creative potential for these methods grow
dramatically when they are synergistically used in tandem.
Goal 3: Increase FAU’s community
engagement
Objectives
B. Increase
the number of community partnerships
Strategies
B.1 Highlight and emphasize the impact, value and benefit
that FAU’s various centers have on the health, wellbeing, and life quality of
the communities they serve
C. Focus on the unique opportunities of
FAU’s stewardship of place
C.1. Recognize and expand the presence and activities of
centers and departments in support of identified signature theme
C.2. Recognize and support the expertise of faculty, staff
and students and develop more interdisciplinary units of study that serve the
community in areas identified as signature themes
B.1,
C.1, C.2: This grant proposal meets FAU in its commitment to enhancing the health
and wellbeing of its community since the intended use of the requested devices
is to study mechanisms that underlie conflict resolution, well-being in social
interactions, with a special emphasis on romantic relationships. The requested devices will yield novel insight
into the study of community and societal issues such as marital discord,
relationship stability, and wellbeing, and are thus consistent with FAU’s
signature theme in contemporary societal challenges of conflict resolution and
health. As noted earlier, the
perspective adopted in these studies will be informed by complex systems and
experimental psychology, and thus also coincide with FAU’s biotechnology theme.
Gazepoint Eyetracker (http://gazept.com/products/)
Gazepoint GP3 desktop eyetracker with
gazepoint analysis (Professional Edition) & GP3 VESA mount bundle (x1) =
$1495
The gazepoint analysis software is sold bundled with the Gazepoint Eye tracker hardware.
Gazepoint GP3 desktop eyetracker (x1) =
$495
Gazepoint GP3 VESA Screen mount (x1) = $120
Basis Band sensor (https://store.mybasis.com/)
Basis shipping: free shipping
Noldus Media Recorder Hardware (http://www.noldus.com/the-observer-xt/modules)
Noldus Media Recorder Hardware (framegrabber) (x1) = $1100
All hardware listed complies with IRM standards.
Hardware Total = $5001
Noldus emotion detection software (http://www.noldus.com/human-behavior-research/products/facereader)
Noldus FaceReader 5.1 (1 license) = $6125
Noldus FaceReader 5.1: Project Analysis Module (1 license) = $1465
Noldus Observer XT integration platform (http://www.noldus.com/human-behavior-research/products/the-observer-xt)
Noldus The Observer XT 11.5: Base
Module (+Advanced Analysis Module) (1 license) = $2625
Noldus Media Recorder 2.5 (1 license) =
$1330
Noldus Multiple Media Module, 4 media
(1 license) = $6800
Software Total: $18345
Upon funding the items can be purchased
immediately, and experiments can begin. The requested software and hardware can be used indefinitely for research projects upon acquisition.
The project is highly sustainable following funding. The funding request is a one-time
request limited to a single year for purchase of hardware and software. No additional funds are needed for
maintenance costs or subscription fees.
Fiscal Year 1 | Fiscal Year 2 | Fiscal Year 3 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Hardware One-Time | $ 5,001.00 | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 | $ 5,001.00 |
Hardware Recurring | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 |
Software One-time | $ 18,345.00 | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 | $ 18,345.00 |
Software Recurring | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 |
Personnel One-time | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 |
Personnel Recurring | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 |
Other One-time | $ 150.67 | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 | $ 150.67 |
Other Recurring | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 |
Totals | $ 23,496.67 | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 | $ 23,496.67 |
Filename | Size | Description |
---|---|---|
Basis band products price.pdf | 131,894b | PDF of shopping cart with Basis Band sensors |
Gazepoint products price.pdf | 90,368b | PDF of shopping cart with Gazepoint eye trackers, analysis package, and screen mount |
Noldus itemized price list.pdf | 472,750b | PDF of itemized list of Noldus products on pages 3-4, from account manager Wilant van Giessen |