Research methods

EEG Laboratory

The EEG laboratory enables us to carry out brainwave measurements on our participants in a shielded room. On the one hand, individual EEG measurements can be carried out; on the other hand, hyperscanning – that is, the simultaneous recording of two participants during direct or indirect interaction – can be performed. We can also measure respiratory rate, skin conductance, heart rate variability, temperature and oxygen saturation.

Organic Laboratory

The biological laboratory is located within the psychotherapeutic/clinical psychology research outpatient clinic, enabling us to process biological samples immediately after collection and store them under refrigeration until they are ready for further analysis.

Website of the "Research Outpatient Clinic"

fMRI

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measures brain activity by detecting changes associated with blood flow in the brain. This technique is based on the fact that cerebral blood flow and neuronal activation are linked. When an area of the brain is active, blood flow in that region also increases. Following statistical processing, this region can be highlighted on brain maps.

Eye tracking

Eye-tracking hardware

• Tobii TX-300
• Tobii Glasses 2

Eye-tracking software

• Tobii Studio
• Tobii Pro Lab

Laboratory for Experimental Psychology

Software

• PST E-Prime
• MatLab Toolbox for Psychophysics
• Python Psychophysics

tVNS

Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) is a newly developed method designed to overcome the drawbacks of surgically implanting a stimulation device. The tVNS device stimulates the auricular branch of the vagus nerve via a bipolar electrode placed on the skin of the left ear.

Hamer, H. M., & Bauer, S. (2019). Lessons learnt from transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS). Epilepsy Research, 153, 83–84.

Biofeedback (NeXus-10 MKII)

Biofeedback devices are used in both competitive sport and training therapy. These devices make it possible to bring physical processes – which normally take place unconsciously – into the realm of conscious awareness and make them visible. The measured values (e.g. respiratory rate, skin conductance or heart rate variability) allow conclusions to be drawn, amongst other things, about the level of arousal or fitness level.

Physical activity patterns (accelerometry, GENEActiv)

The analysis of physical activity patterns is of vital importance in the field of personal and public health. A sedentary lifestyle and daily exercise routines of varying intensity can affect every individual’s physical, mental and social well-being. The GENEactiv devices record objectively measured, accelerometer-based data on physical activity, including the duration and intensity of individual training sessions.

Portable EEG (Emotiv, EPOC+)

The brain plays a vital role in the processes of perception and behaviour. Electroencephalography is an attempt to make the processes occurring in the brain observable by recording voltage fluctuations on the surface of the head. This portable 14-channel system provides initial insights.

Reaction time measurements

Measuring reaction speed is important for issues relating, for example, to elementary reaction rate, fatigue or activation. This test battery is designed to assess psychomotor speed and, in particular, measures the choice reaction time. Unlike the simple reaction system and the compensatory tracking task, this test procedure measures choice reaction time.

Vienna Test System (Vienna Test System)

The Vienna Test System is used to address a variety of psychological issues and offers a wide range of test batteries covering performance psychology, traffic psychology, developmental psychology, clinical psychology and personality assessment.

Simple reaction time system

Measuring reaction time is important for issues relating, for example, to elementar rate, fatigue or activation. This test procedure measures the reaction time to a peripheral stimulus in addition to an automated task. The task is to use the mouse pointer to follow a cursor as accurately as possible as it moves horizontally to the left and right at varying speeds. The stimuli appear randomly at irregular intervals in one of the four corners of the screen. Once the stimuli appear, you must react as quickly as possible. Two parameters are recorded: the average distance between the mouse pointer and the cursor, which represents the accuracy of the automated activity, and the average reaction time as the main parameter for reaction speed. In contrast to the selective reaction system, this test method measures individual reaction speed.

Qualitative interviews

The qualitative interview is one of the most common methods in qualitative research. It explores and generates hypotheses rather than testing them. By using open-ended research questions, it is possible, in particular, to assess (sport-related) sociological and psychological research questions from the perspective of a specific population. Examples include the subjective effects of interventions, interviews with and perspectives of experts, or the development of new research questions arising from the analysis of participants’ perspectives.

Questionnaires

The study of how individuals interpret their own living environment is a cornerstone of sport and exercise psychology. Questionnaires are used for this purpose, and these must meet specific quality criteria. These instruments can be used, amongst other things, to examine motivation for sporting activity, perceived barriers to physical activity, self-perception and the discrepancy between perception and reality.