Training theta brain wave activity affects performance in the Virtual Water Maze

Title

Training theta brain wave activity affects performance in the Virtual Water Maze

Identifier

TSP2014Stinebaugh

Format

["pdf"]

Language

["English"]

Collection Name

["Towson University Graduate Theses and Dissertations"]

TOWSON UNIVERSITY OFFICE OF GRADUATE STUDIES TRAINING THETA BRAIN WAVE ACTIVITY AFFECTS PERFORMANCE IN THE VIRTUAL WATER MAZE By Brianna Stinebaugh A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of Towson University In partial fulfillment Of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts Department of Psychology Towson University Towson, Maryland 21252 May 2014

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Document Details

Title

Training theta brain wave activity affects performance in the Virtual Water Maze

Identifier

TSP2014Stinebaugh

Type

["Text"]

Genre

["Theses"]

Format

["pdf"]

Rights

There are no restrictions on access to this document. An internet release form signed by the author to display this document online is on file with Towson University Special Collections and Archives. Copyright protected, all rights reserved.

General Notes

Thesis research directed by the Department of Psychology.

Extent

v, 22 pages

Language

["English"]

Repository

["Towson University. Albert S. Cook Library. Special Collections and University Archives"]

Collection Name

["Towson University Graduate Theses and Dissertations"]

Author

Stinebaugh, Brianna

Degree Date

2014

Department or Program

["Towson University. Department of Psychology"]

Abstract

Cortical theta activity is correlated with a person's use of spatial cues and landmarks to navigate through a virtual reality environment. This study used the Virtual Water Maze to study spatial navigation abilities in individuals after going through binaural pulse theta brain wave training or after listening to Mozart's Sonata for Two Pianos in D major, K. 448. The study design also included a control group that was not given any training or music to listen to. This group performed some basic math problems for the initial fifteen minutes of the study. All groups had their brain wave activity recorded through the use of a real time EEG head device. The current study hypothesized that if a theta state can be induced using binaural pulsing and if theta activity correlates with spatial navigation skill, then the participants in the binaural pulsing condition should show enhanced learning of the platform position in the Virtual Water Maze with faster latency scores relative to the no pre-training condition. The same was predicted for the Mozart condition; if Mozart's music creates a mental state of optimal learning, then the group that listens to Mozart should also experience enhanced spatial learning relative to the math condition which acted as this study's control condition receiving no theta pre-training before the Virtual Water Maze task. Results of the study showed there was no significant correlation between any of the EEG measures and the latency measure. When looking at the attention and meditation that were provided by the EEG program, the attention measure was slightly higher for the Mozart group compared to the other two groups.

Thesis Committee Members

["Chachich, Mark","Devan, Bryan"]

Date Published

23 July 2014

Author (Controlled)

["Stinebaugh, Brianna"]

Thesis Advisor

["Parente, Frederick"]

Degree Note

(M.A.) -- Towson University, 2014.

Training theta brain wave activity affects performance in the Virtual Water Maze

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