This dataset contains synchronized electroencephalographic (EEG), autonomic physiological recordings, and behavioral responses acquired during an emotional word association task.
Participants were exposed to emotionally relevant lexical prompts and were allowed either to select a suggested word or generate a new word of their own choice. Neural, autonomic, and behavioral responses were recorded throughout the task.
The released dataset includes:
- EEG recordings (8 channels, 250 Hz)
- Electrodermal Activity (EDA)
- Blood Volume Pulse (BVP)
- Interbeat Interval (IBI)
- Skin Temperature
- Behavioral event markers corresponding to word generation and word selection
- Semantic similarity measures between consecutive words
Participants completed a word association task focused on emotionally relevant concepts associated with fear.
During the task, words were suggested to participants. Participants could either:
- Select one of the suggested words.
- Generate a different word of their own choice.
Each response was timestamped and synchronized with physiological recordings.
Experimental sessions lasted approximately three minutes.
EEG signals were acquired using:
- OpenBCI Cyton acquisition board
- Ultracortex Mark IV headset
Eight EEG channels were positioned at:
- Fp1
- Fp2
- F3
- F4
- P7
- P8
- O1
- O2
EEG data were sampled at 250 Hz.
Two ear-clip electrodes attached to the earlobes were used during acquisition.
Autonomic physiological signals were acquired using an Empatica E4 wristband.
The following physiological signals are included in the released dataset:
- Electrodermal Activity (EDA)
- Blood Volume Pulse (BVP)
- Interbeat Interval (IBI)
- Skin Temperature
Although the Empatica E4 device is capable of recording triaxial acceleration, accelerometry data were not available in the exported recordings and are therefore not included in this release.
Event files contain the following variables:
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
| onset | Time in seconds relative to the beginning of the task |
| duration | Event duration in seconds (0 for instantaneous events) |
| trial_type | Event type |
| Word | Word selected or generated by the participant |
| Correlation | Semantic similarity score relative to the previous word |
| NewWord | Indicates whether the participant generated a new word (TRUE) or selected a suggested word (FALSE) |
The Correlation variable represents the semantic similarity between consecutive words produced by the participant and may be useful for studying semantic transitions and associative processes.
All data streams were timestamped during acquisition, allowing synchronization between:
- EEG recordings
- Physiological recordings
- Behavioral word events
Event onset values included in the BIDS event files were derived from these timestamps.
Physiological recordings from participant 7 were unavailable due to a data acquisition error affecting the Empatica E4 recording system.
EEG recordings and behavioral event data remain available for this participant.
All participant identifiers were removed prior to publication.
The dataset does not contain:
- Personal identifying information
- Facial images
- Structural MRI data
- Functional MRI data
Participants are represented only through anonymized subject identifiers.
The dataset contains raw physiological recordings acquired under real experimental conditions.
Signal quality may vary across participants and channels due to:
- Variability in electrode contact
- Motion artifacts
- Physiological variability
- Wireless acquisition conditions
Users are encouraged to perform their own preprocessing and quality control procedures before conducting analyses.
This project had financial support from SECIHTI through the awarded Ciencia de Frontera 2023 grant, Project ID: CF-2023-G-583
Please cite the associated publication(s) when using this dataset. Blanco-Ríos, M. A., Candela-Leal, M. O., Orozco-Romo, C., Remis-Serna, P., Vélez-Saboyá, C. S., Lozoya-Santos, J. D. J., Cebral-Loureda, M., & Ramírez-Moreno, M. A. (2024). Real-time EEG-based emotion recognition for neurohumanities: Perspectives from principal component analysis and tree-based algorithms. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 18, 1319574. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2024.1319574 Ortiz-Espinoza, A., Cebral-Loureda, M., Hernandez-Morales, J., Torres-Huitzil, C., & Ramírez-Moreno, M. A. (2025). Real-time generative AI experience of the Vanitas painting. Cogent Arts & Humanities, 12(1), 2591387. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311983.2025.2591387 Romo-De León, R., Cham-Pérez, M. L. L., Elizondo-Villegas, V. A., Villarreal-Villarreal, A., Ortiz-Espinoza, A. A., Vélez-Saboyá, C. S., Lozoya-Santos, J. D. J., Cebral-Loureda, M., & Ramírez-Moreno, M. A. (2026). Neurophysiological assessment of biometric patterns during semi-immersive and traditional learning experiences in the humanities. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 20, 1692599. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1692599