Comparison of thermographic, EEG and subjective measures of affective experience of designed stimuli.

Abstract

This paper reports on work undertaken to establish the efficacy of Infrared Thermography (IRT) as an accurate, non-contact measurement tool for studying user experience during product interaction. IRT was compared with two other established methods of measuring changes of emotional state; Electroencephalogram (EEG) and Affective Self Report (ASR). Sixteen male undergraduate designers were given a cognitive task whilst simultaneous IRT and EEG measurements were made. ASR measures of Arousal and Valence were recorded along with an additional post test scale for Task Engagement. Using the Pearson product-moment correlation, a strong positive association was established between changes in forehead temperature and changes in total EEG activity between baseline and test condition. A negative correlation was established between EEG and some dimensions of affect. No correlation was observed between IRT and ASR measures for the sample, however, individual differences observed suggest that temperature dynamics may be associated with the intensity of affective state change.