Enhancing replicability in EEG Individual Differences research through individually parameterised single trial EEG – identifying a comprehensive signal quality evaluation strategy

Over the last decades, unsatisfactorily low replication rates have been reported across a multitude of scientific fields, instigating a surge in critical assessment of scientific practices. One critical yet relatively underexplored factor that may contribute to low replicability in the field of EEG neuroscience is the prevalent one-size-fits-all approach to parameterising event-related potentials (ERPs) across increasingly large and often diverse samples. By applying the same temporal and spatial criteria to define arguably individually diverse ERPs, it is highly plausible that the reported components may lack reliability for some of the sample observed. Furthermore, understanding intra-individual variability in cognitive processing requires the use of single trial EEG techniques. These techniques must employ sophisticated approaches to distinguish the signal of interest from noise, without relying on the traditional method of averaging data across trials. By combining individualised EEG parameterisation with single trial EEG quantification, the validity of the results can be substantially improved. This integration not only enhances the accuracy of measurements but also provides deeper insights into the variability of cognitive processes across trials. 

This workshop aims to bring together experts in the field of EEG neuroscience and methods to discuss and agree on key evaluation criteria for single trial EEG activity obtained by single trial estimation algorithms. The agreed comprehensive battery of evaluation strategies will be published as a recommendation paper with all participants, who wish to be, as co-authors. On the first day of this two-day workshop, experts will present and discuss a variety of single trial EEG estimation approaches and a variety of EEG quality assessment approaches, and participants will (a) discuss the potential integration of individualised parameterisation within the single trial approaches, and (2) brainstorm and discuss a comprehensive battery of quality assessments for individualised single trial EEG. The second day of the workshop will feature presentations from experts in the field of individual differences research and EEG data preprocessing strategies, and participants will continue the discussions from the previous day in light of these presentations in order to arrive at a refined, appropriate, and agreed upon battery of quality assessments. Following the workshop, the organisers will lead the writing of a recommendation paper that will share our arguments, conclusions, and recommended quality assessment battery for individualised single trial EEG quality assessment with the wider scientific community. All workshop participants are invited to be co-authors. Looking to the future, this will be followed by a project to comprehensively evaluate individualised single trial EEG approaches in line with our recommendation, in which all attendees are invited to join as collaborators.