Electric brain potentials evoked by pictures of meaningful activities: a search for “meaning”

Introduction Meaningful activities contribute to wellbeing, health, and quality of life. Understanding the brain mechanisms that underlie the attribution of meaning to activities is crucial for further comprehension of human functioning and health. Method An explorative electroencephalographic study including thirteen females. A visual paradigm with picture stimuli containing self-selected meaningful activities of the participants was included. The participants scored each activity on meaningfulness based on a VAS-scale. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were studied in five time windows related to the P1-N1-P2 complex, N200, and N400 component. Mean amplitudes and onset latencies were compared between the two conditions using a paired student t-test. A two-way repeated ANOVA was conducted to examine the main and interaction effects of the conditions and topographical region in the N200 and N400 time window. The ERPs were inspected on a subject-level. Results No significant difference between the meaningful and non-meaningful condition was found on both amplitudes and onset latencies in the N200 and N400 time window. No interaction effects between topographical region and condition were found for N200 and N400. Discussion A first attempt was made to investigate neurophysiological correlates of the cognitive process of attribution of meaning to activities. We could not capture an effect in the N200 or N400 component. We evaluated the new paradigm and suggested other brain registration techniques. Conclusion The neurophysiological correlates of the cognitive process of attribution of meaning to activities was investigated. We could not capture an effect in the N200 or N400 component.