Motivation and Background:
Currently, cognitive processes that guide information retrieval and understanding are not well understood. The NeuroInformation Search project is motivated by the need to bridge this gap by exploring how the brain’s neurological setup influences information seeking behavior. This exploration is crucial for designing the next generation of information systems that are truly aligned with our natural cognitive processes.
Research Questions:
– What brain regions are activated during different types of information searches?
– How can cognitive load be accurately measured and correlated with the complexity of the search tasks?
– In what ways can different search tasks be classified based on their neurological impact?
Problem Definition:
Despite advances in technology, current information retrieval systems are often misaligned with the user’s cognitive capabilities, potentially leading to information overload or retrieval inefficiency. The NeuroInformation Search project addresses these challenges by dissecting the brain’s response to various search stimuli, aiming to align future information systems with innate neurological processes.
Potential Findings:
The project expects to reveal distinct neurological patterns associated with different types of searches, contributing to a nuanced understanding of cognitive load. These insights will pave the way for developing more adaptive and user-friendly search interfaces that can dynamically adjust to the cognitive states of users.
Methodology:
– Neurological Observation: Utilizing data gathered from techniques such as fMRI and EEG to monitor brain activity during controlled information search tasks.
– Statistical Analysis: Analyzing the data obtained from neurological observations to quantify cognitive load and correlate it with task complexity.
– Comparative Studies: Examining variations in brain activity across different demographics to understand diverse cognitive processing styles.
Deliverables:
- This project aims to review all current & relevant literature on classifying searches and their correlating brain activation processes in a scoping review. This will help understand the current status of research and inform future research.
- To simulate brain activity, this project will also use a cognitive architecture (using SOAR or ACT-R) to learn more about brain activity and its connection with information search.
Limitations and Future Work:
The complexity of the human brain and the subjective nature of cognitive load measurement pose significant challenges. Future research may explore more refined neurological monitoring technologies and expanded studies across different cultural and cognitive frameworks to build a more universal understanding of information interaction. This project aims to find basic neural correlates with varying kinds of information searches, but this faces a primary challenge of defining what constitutes a ‘search’ and how we can classify different ‘search types.’ There may be cultural and neurodivergent differences in conducting brain searches which will need to be thoroughly researched in future work.