The Brain, Body, and Behavior Dataset (BBBD): Multimodal Recordings during Educational Videos

Abstract

When humans engage with video, their brain and body interact in response to sensory input. To investigate these interactions, we recorded and are releasing a dataset from N=178 participants across five experiments featuring short online educational videos. This dataset comprises approximately 110 hours of multimodal data including electrocardiogram (ECG), heart rate, respiration, breathing rate, pupil size, electrooculogram (EOG), gaze position, saccades, blinks, fixations, head movement, and electroencephalogram (EEG). Participants viewed 3-6 videos (mean total duration: 28{+/-}5 min) to test attentional states (attentive vs. distracted), memory retention (multiple-choice questions), learning scenarios (incidental vs. intentional), and an intervention (monetary incentive). Demographic data, ADHD self-report (ASRS), and working memory assessments (digit span) were collected. Basic statistics and noteworthy effects: increased alpha power in a distracted condition, broadband EEG power increases from posterior to anterior scalp, increased blink-rate, and decreased saccade-rate in distracted and intervention conditions. All modalities are time-aligned with stimuli and standardized using BIDS, making the dataset valuable for researchers investigating attention, memory, and learning in naturalistic settings.