Objective characterization of human behavioural characteristics for QoE assessment: A pilot study on the use of electroencephalography features

Quality of Experience (QoE) is a human-centric paradigm which produces the blue print of human behavioral states such as perception, emotion, cognition and expectation. Recent advances in neurophysiological monitoring tools have facilitated the study of frequency, time and location of neuronal activity to an unprecedented degree, as well as opened doors to a better understanding of human cognition, emotions and overall behavioral systems. These neurophysiological insights may provide more accurate and objective characterization of QoE metrics. This paper seeks to investigate neuronal activity generated by three different quality levels of a speech stimulus using electroencephalography (EEG). To this end, an electroencephalography (EEG) feature was computed based on the coupling between so-called delta and beta EEG frequency bands, which has previously been linked with negative behavioral characteristics (anxiety, frustration, dissatisfaction). The result indicates an increase in delta and beta coupling with a decrease in the speech quality levels. Additionally, neural correlates of a subjective affective scores (arousal and valence) were also computed and shown to be inversely proportional with EEG feature. These preliminary findings corroborate that emotions play a significant role in human quality and QoE perception.