Characterization of Cognitive State from Signatures of Digital Data

Spring 2018 RESEARCH INCUBATION AWARDEE

PI: Thomas Perls, Professor, Genetics, Medicine, MED

Co-PI(s): Paola Sebastiani, Professor, Biostatistics, SPH; Stacy Andersen, Assistant Professor, Medicine, MED

The Challenge

Though the numerous states of mind are known, pointing out the specific person’s state of mind at any particular moment is somewhat challenging. Only after establishing a person’s state of mind can one know whether the person can comprehend challenging information that requires perfect cognitive states such as concentration, or just regular normal details.

The Solution

The modern age of technology has made it easier to do almost anything. Therefore, digital data can be collected based on someone’s behavior to determine their state of mind. Some of the cognitive states, such as curiosity, interest, doubt, and certainty, can easily be measured through the analysis of the signatures of people’s digital data.

The Process

Analysis of digital data is a long process that requires the acquisition of data. During the acquisition of people’s digital data, it is essential to review some of the privacy policies developed by both governments and data companies to avoid a violation, which could easily lead to imprisonment. Additionally, a review of literature that focuses on the analysis of digital data is crucial to determine the best methods of analyzing data.