Week 2: Moving my Means from Madness into Method

If my last week was pivoting from “tourist” to “researcher,” this week was taking my introductory research steps. There is a massive difference between having a general idea for a study and having a rigorous, repeatable protocol ready for execution. That was my target.

My primary focus this week was finalizing the infrastructure of the experiment regarding the paperwork, the physical environment, and the experimental script.

I think the most critical task from this week was finalizing the Informed Consent form. As I mentioned last week, you can’t just hook people up to electrodes without a plan. I spent time sampling and adapting an EEG study consent form from a university to fit the specific needs of my study.

The form, which is now ready to go, outlines everything: the 10-minute duration, the application of the EEG cap, and the exclusion criteria (screening for history of seizures or neurological disorders) to ensure participant safety. It also explains the two conditions participants will face: a “Standard” condition and an “Evaluation” condition. 

I’ve been perusing EEG study literature to ensure my methods and conditions align with existing research, which is the specific brain signal associated with anticipation and attention that I’m tracking.

I realize that to capture this minute signal accurately, the environment matters just as much as the equipment. I’ve spent the last few days configuring the testing setup to minimize distractions. EEG data is incredibly sensitive; even a blinking light or background noise can create artifacts in the data. I’ve begun mapping out potential quiet testing rooms where participants can complete the tasks (currently keeping it a secret!) without interruption.

You may ask, “So, how is your ‘waiting game’ going, Josh?” Better than expected, but I’m not at the finish line yet.

My goal is to reach a sample size of 20-30 participants. As of today, I have successfully recruited the interest of 15 people, mostly through immediate school connections. It’s a strong start, but to ensure my data is more statistically relevant, I need to diversify the future recruits.

My strategy for the upcoming week is to expand recruitment through official lab sign-ups. Since the total session time is only about 10 minutes, I’m optimistic that the low time commitment will help me hit that target of 30 quickly.

Thanks for following along,

Josh Peter