Picture Classification into Different Levels of Narrativity Using Subconscious Processes and Behavioral Data: An EEG Study

Abstract

This electroencephalography (EEG) study provides significant neurophysiological evidence for the processing of words outside conscious awareness. Brain potentials were recorded while 25 participants were presented with words and shapes, each of them with 17, 34, and 67ms presentation duration times ("no presentation" was included as control condition). Participants were instructed to report whether they have seen anything and if yes, what it was (shape or word). If they saw a word and were able to read it, they were asked to report having read it. Crucially, even though only 2.9% of the 17ms word presentations were classified as readable, these presentations elicited significant brain activity near the Wernicke area that was missing in the case of 17ms shape presentations. The respective brain activity difference lasted for about 150ms being statistically significant between 349ms and 409ms after stimulus onset. It is suggested that this neurophysiological difference reflects nonconscious (i.e., subliminal) word processing. Some aspects of the NeuroIS discipline include text messages and the current findings demonstrate that those text messages can be processed by the nervous system even in the absence of their conscious recognition.

Exploring the Neural Processes behind Narrative Engagement: An EEG Study

“…Previous studies have also characterized engagement as well as emotional and focused attentional states ( Schreiner et al, 2022 ), which is closely related to engagement ( Busselle and Bilandzic, 2009 ; Dmochowski et al, 2012 ) using FC. In a dFC study, Song et al (2021a ) evaluated narrative engagement, sustained attention, and event memory during narrative exposure.…”

“…that have a dramatic arc (Ryan, 2007). We addressed the complexity of the dramatic arc to explore brain responses during narrative cognition.…”