Analysis of Event-related Potentials

In experimental psychology, event-related potentials (ERPs) are often used as dependent variables in empirical studies. These are characteristic voltage fluctuations in response to an event (e.g., a sound) that are measured at multiple electrode sites on the scalp of the participants. The analysis of ERP data is subject to a number of challenges, as the datasets contain a large number of measurement points per subject, which have complex spatial dependencies. To address these challenges, several analysis methods have been proposed. In this project, the mathematical relation between the different proposed approaches will be investigated in order to better define their advantages and disadvantages. In addition, we seek to lift some current limitations such as the assumption of equal time courses across subjects and conditions in order to increase the usefulness of the method for practical users.

Relevant publications:

Scharf, F., Widmann, A., Bonmassar, C. & Wetzel, N. (2022). A Tutorial on the Use of Temporal Principal Component Analysis in Developmental ERP Research - Opportunities and Challenges. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience.

Scharf, F., & Nestler, S. (2019a). A comparison of simple structure rotation criteria in temporal exploratory factor analysis for event-related potential data. Methodology, 15, 43-60.

Scharf, F., & Nestler, S. (2019b). Exploratory structural equation modeling for event-related potential data - an all-in-one approach? Psychophysiology. DOI 10.1111/psyp.13303

Scharf, F., & Nestler, S. (2018). Principles behind variance misallocation in tem-poral exploratory factor analysis for ERP data: Insights from an inter-factor covariance decomposition. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 128, 119-136.