In popular culture the measurement of brain waves is often depicted as highly advanced and bordering on mind reading. While incredibly useful, it has not yet advanced to that degree. EEG studies are incredibly useful in determining which parts of the brain are active at a certain time or when presented with a stimulus. It is thus used in fields where, for example, learning and cognition are studied.
Electrophysiological (EEG) recording
Where physiological measurements offer interesting insights in direct bodily responses to stimuli, it does offer very limited insight in what the brain is doing. EEG equipment allows for a measurement of brain activity to determine which part of the brain is activated at a certain moment in time. For example, when a stimulus is presented to the participant. One can combine EEG with other measurements, for example facial emotion recognition or heart rate sensors, to tie certain brain activity to specific experiences. Newer versions of EEG recording equipment allow for wireless transmission of data and measurements using infrared instead of electrodes and a gel layer. This simplifies the use of EEG significantly, but at the cost of both accuracy and power. EEG research can, for example, be used in answering questions on how and why people learn, consume content or experience stimuli.