Chapter 4 Volitional Eye Movements and their Relationship to Visual Attention

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the classification of eye movements based on the physical parameters of the movements and on the physical conditions under which these movements occur. It illustrates those types and aspects of eye movements that are under volitional control and discuss their relationship to visual attention. Eye movements are classified in terms of their velocity, as being either fast, slow, or close to zero (stationary). Complex combinations of eye movements occur reflexively when the head moves. These reflexes, distinguished on the basis of the receptor detecting the motion, are of two types—namely, vestibular and optokinetic. Both slow and fast eye movements and the state of “no movement,” can be achieved by volition. The volitional control of eye movements is restricted to certain types of movement and in certain cases to the initiation or to the suppression of the movement. Among the various types of fast or saccadic eye movements, self-paced saccades are “volitional” and spontaneous saccades are “not volitional”.