Flow research focuses on understanding and how participants perceive stimuli. Within the domain of marketing, more specifically the area of neuromarketing, this type of research is growing in popularity. The recent developments in sensor technology allow the BMS lab to offer EEG equipment that measures brain activity to researchers and students alike. In flow research it is used to determine how information is being processed. Take, for example, the way in which a puzzle is solved, (online) search for information is being conducted or how different advertising methods might lead to the activation of different parts of the brain.
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.