Visual attention and role recognition in bullying vignettes in preadolescents and adults.

Although many chemistry demonstrations are proposed in educational literature, there are hardly any studies on how demonstrations should be set up in order to support students’ perception. Against this background, the aim of the present study was to present and test setup principles for chemistry demonstrations, with regards to indicators of students’ visual attention on the relevant equipment in a demonstration. On the basis of the Gestalt principles, we carried out an experimental double-blind eye-tracking study. We set up six demonstrations that each corresponded to one Gestalt principle (“Gestalt setting”) and six demonstrations that explicitly violated one principle (“control setting”). There were 146 students from secondary schools randomly assigned to watch a demonstration either in a Gestalt or a control setting. Visual attention was captured using an eye-tracker (eye-follower 2.0). The total fixation count, total fixation duration, total mean fixation duration, and time taken to fixate were analy...

Patients with social anxiety disorder appear to display aberrant gaze behavior across a variety of social situations. In contrast, the gaze behavior of high socially anxious (HSA) individuals from the community seems to depend on the type of situation and the aberration might be limited to gaze avoidance. This study investigated the differential effect of social situation—a face-viewing task and a public speaking task—on gaze behavior in HSA participants from a community sample. Participants’ eye movements were tracked using a wearable eye tracker. Two aspects of gaze behavior were measured: (1) gaze avoidance was assessed by total fixation time, fixation counts, and mean fixation time on faces; (2) hypervigilance was assessed by scan path length and mean distance between fixations. The results confirmed a moderating effect of task on total (though not mean) fixation time on faces and fixation counts. Compared to low socially anxious participants, HSA participants looked less frequently (hence shorter) at the audience during the speech only. This indicates that visual avoidance in HSA individuals does not occur by default, but only when risks of (negative) social consequences are perceived. High and low socially anxious participants showed no difference in hypervigilance in either situation.

Purpose: To analyze the correlation between eye movements and asthenopia so as to explore the possibility of using eye-tracking techniques for objective assessment of asthenopia. Methods: This prospective observational study used the computer visual syndrome questionnaire to assess the severity of asthenopia in 93 enrolled college students (age 20−30) who complained about asthenopia. Binocular accommodation and eye movements during the reading task were also examined. The correlations between questionnaire score and accommodation examination results and eye movement parameters were analyzed. Differences in eye movement parameters between the first and last reading paragraphs were compared. The trends in eye movement changes over time were observed. Results: About 81.7% of the subjects suffered from computer visual syndrome. Computer visual syndrome questionnaire total score was positively correlated with positive relative accommodation (p < 0.05). In the first reading paragraph, double vision was positively correlated with unknown saccades (all p < 0.05). Difficulty focusing at close range was positively correlated with total fixation duration, total visit duration, and reading speed (all p < 0.05). Feeling that sight was worsening was positively correlated with regressive saccades (p < 0.05). However, visual impairment symptoms were not significantly correlated with any accommodative function. In a total 20 min reading, significantly reduced eye movement parameters were: total fixation duration, fixation count, total visit duration, visit count, fixation duration mean, and reading speed (all p < 0.01). The eye movement parameters that were significantly increased were: visit duration mean and unknown saccades (all p < 0.001). Conclusion: Eye tracking could be used as an effective assessment for asthenopia. Among the various eye movement parameters, a decrease in fixation duration and counts may be one of the potential indicators related to asthenopia.

The study aimed to use eye tracking technology to assess children's visual attention and preferences towards paediatric dentists and dental operatory. The secondary objective was to determine the stress levels associated with it. A pilot study included 40 children aged 4-12 years. Eye movements were tracked using the View-Point eye tracker, measuring mean dwell time, total fixations, time to first fixation (TTFF), and total fixation time (TFT). Respiratory and heart rates were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test and paired t-test (p < 0.05). While no significant differences were observed in overall dwell times, TTFF, or TFT among image pairs, male children showed significantly higher dwell times and fixations for male dentist images (p = 0.02; 0.002), with similar results for female children viewing female dentist images (p = 0.007). TFT was longer for images of dentists in white coats (p = 0.008) and yellow dental chairs (p = 0.04). Stress levels did not significantly differ by gender or age. Eye tracking proves to be a valuable tool in pediatric dentistry for assessing children's preferences. Children of a certain gender preferred dentists of the same gender, while most favoured dentists in white coats and yellow dental chairs. Further research with advanced technology can better explore children's dental preferences in paediatric dental settings.

This study examines whether integrating sports and arts interventions enhances response joint attention (RJA) in children with mild autism and provides insights for diversifying intervention strategies for autism. 2024.6–2024.12,Twenty-four children with autism, aged 6–12 years, were recruited from an autism association in Anhui Province, China. Participants were randomized using a computer-generated sequence (allocation concealed from assessors) assigned to an experimental group (n = 12) or a control group (n = 12). Over 12 weeks, the experimental group participated in basketball and drawing lessons four times a week for 60 min per session, while the control group engaged only in routine activities and structured teaching provided by their school and the association. RJA performance was assessed pre- and post-intervention using eye-tracking technology, analyzing key metrics: time to first fixation (TFF), fixation count (FC), total fixation duration (TFD), total visit duration (TVD), visit count (VC), and the ratio of correct to incorrect for first responses. Post-intervention, the experimental group showed significantly greater improvements in RJA performance than the control group. Key metrics for the experimental group included TFF (0.52 ± 0.79), FC (36.35 ± 6.34), TFD (11.05 ± 1.33), TVD (17.05 ± 2.33), VC (24.25 ± 2.49), and correct-to-incorrect ratio (1.1 ± 0.1), all of which outperformed the control group: TFF (0.59 ± 0.11), FC (30.83 ± 2.14), TFD (9.47 ± 1.38), TVD (15.42 ± 1.51), VC (20.33 ± 1.87), and correct-to-incorrect ratio (0.97 ± 0.08),partialη2 ranged from 0.25 to 0.78, with P < 0.05. Integrating sports and arts interventions significantly improves RJA in children with autism, highlighting the potential of these methods in enhancing attention-related behaviors.

This study analyzes Brazilian consumer behavior regarding quality and visual cues in fresh red meat and cooked beef. Using eye tracking to collect visual attention metrics and psychological scales to assess food behavior, the research examines how visual attention to beef attributes impacts product choice. A discrete choice method combined nine hypothetical products with varied attributes. Results showed that consumers display different visual behaviors toward cues, influencing their probability of choosing a product. For fresh beef, color was the most significant factor, especially bright red and brown hues. Color influenced both the time to first fixation and total fixation time, while breed also affected total fixation time. Dark-red color and unspecified breed information increased the purchase probability, while Nellore breed and brown color decreased it. Total fixation numbers were significantly impacted by color, breed, marbling, and price. In cooked beef, tenderness, price, and flavor were key visual cues. Tenderness and flavor influenced the time to first fixation, whereas price and flavor impacted the number of fixations. This research contributes to understanding visual cues and attention in food choices, suggesting strategies for enhancing beef labeling and communication to better inform Brazilian consumers.

Communicational signals (e.g. lights and horns) are imperative for on-road interaction between drivers. The aim of the present study was to explore how these signals affect drivers' subjective appraisal and visual attention, and how drivers decode the signals from other vehicles within a variety of interactive contexts. Twenty-five male participants (20 valid samples, ranging from 21 to 29 years of age) were recruited to watch film clips of pre-designed interactive scenarios involving common vehicle signals in a full-view simulator (i.e. including road view and mirror views). Participants' attitudes towards the interacting vehicle's behaviours, emotional responses, fixation metrics, and decoded meanings were recorded and analysed. The majority of tested signals, with the exception of the horn used in the behind vehicles, significantly improved drivers' attitudes and pleasure. All signals significantly increased emotional arousal, as well as the total fixation time and mean fixation duration on the interacting vehicle. When the interacting vehicle was visible in mirrors, the signal usage significantly increased the fixation frequency towards it. Meanwhile, a significant decrease in total fixation time and mean fixation duration on the road was reported. The results also demonstrated that the decoded signal contained several meanings simultaneously depending on both the signal type and its interactive context. This study quantified the communication process via vehicular signals under typical situations involving other vehicles, and also suggested new ideas on how to establish more advanced communication between drivers.

BackgroundSocial attention differences, expressed through gaze patterns, have been documented in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with subtle differences also reported among first-degree relatives, suggesting a shared genetic link. Findings have mostly been derived from standard eye-tracking methods (total fixation count or total fixation duration). Given the dynamics of visual attention, these standard methods may obscure subtle, yet core, differences in visual attention mechanisms, particularly those presenting sub-clinically. This study applied a constellation of eye-tracking analyses to gaze data from individuals with ASD and their parents.MethodsThis study included n = 156 participants across groups, including ASD (n = 24) and control (n = 32) groups, and parents of individuals with ASD (n = 61) and control parents (n = 39). A complex scene with social/non-social elements was displayed and gaze tracked via an eye tracker. Eleven analytic methods from the following categories were analyzed: (1) standard variables, (2) temporal dynamics (e.g., gaze over time), (3) fixation patterns (e.g., perseverative or regressive fixations), (4) first fixations, and (5) distribution patterns. MANOVAs, growth curve analyses, and Chi-squared tests were applied to examine group differences. Finally, group differences were examined on component scores derived from a principal component analysis (PCA) that reduced variables to distinct dimensions.ResultsNo group differences emerged among standard, first fixation, and distribution pattern variables. Both the ASD and ASD parent groups demonstrated on average reduced social attention over time and atypical perseverative fixations. Lower social attention factor scores derived from PCA strongly differentiated the ASD and ASD parent groups from controls, with parent findings driven by the subset of parents demonstrating the broad autism phenotype.LimitationsTo generalize these findings, larger sample sizes, extended viewing contexts (e.g., dynamic stimuli), and even more eye-tracking analytical methods are needed.ConclusionsFixations over time and perseverative fixations differentiated ASD and the ASD parent groups from controls, with the PCA most robustly capturing social attention differences. Findings highlight their methodological utility in studies of the (broad) autism spectrum to capture nuanced visual attention differences that may relate to clinical symptoms in ASD, and reflect genetic liability in clinically unaffected relatives. This proof-of-concept study may inform future studies using eye tracking across populations where social attention is impacted.

Early identification efforts are essential for the early treatment of the symptoms of autism but can only occur if robust risk factors are found. Children with autism often engage in repetitive behaviors and anecdotally prefer to visually examine geometric repetition, such as the moving blade of a fan or the spinning of a car wheel. The extent to which a preference for looking at geometric repetition is an early risk factor for autism has yet to be examined. To determine if toddlers with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) aged 14 to 42 months prefer to visually examine dynamic geometric images more than social images and to determine if visual fixation patterns can correctly classify a toddler as having an ASD. Toddlers were presented with a 1-minute movie depicting moving geometric patterns on 1 side of a video monitor and children in high action, such as dancing or doing yoga, on the other. Using this preferential looking paradigm, total fixation duration and the number of saccades within each movie type were examined using eye tracking technology. University of California, San Diego Autism Center of Excellence. One hundred ten toddlers participated in final analyses (37 with an ASD, 22 with developmental delay, and 51 typical developing toddlers). Total fixation time within the geometric patterns or social images and the number of saccades were compared between diagnostic groups. Overall, toddlers with an ASD as young as 14 months spent significantly more time fixating on dynamic geometric images than other diagnostic groups. If a toddler spent more than 69% of his or her time fixating on geometric patterns, then the positive predictive value for accurately classifying that toddler as having an ASD was 100%. A preference for geometric patterns early in life may be a novel and easily detectable early signature of infants and toddlers at risk for autism.

According to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, “achieving inclusive and quality education for all”, foreign language learning has come to be seen as a process of integrating sustainable development into the socio-cultural aspects of education and learning. The aim of this study was to employ virtual reality (VR) eye tracker to examine how students with different levels of prior knowledge process visual behaviors for Japanese Mimicry and Onomatopoeia (MIO) while learning Japanese as a second foreign language. A total of 20 students studying at the Department of Applied Japanese at the university of Southern Taiwan were recruited. Based on the Japanese language proficiency test (JLPT) level, 20 participants were divided into high prior knowledge group (levels N1–N3) with 7 participants, and low prior knowledge group (level N4 or below) with 13 participants. The learning stimuli materials were created by Unreal Engine 4 (UE4) development tool to design a 3D virtual MIO paradise, including 5 theme amusement parks. Through a VR eye tracker, participants’ visual behaviors were tracked and recorded based on 24 different regions of interest (ROIs) (i.e., ROI1–ROI24). This was done to discuss the distribution of visual attention in terms of different ROIs of each theme amusement park based on four eye movement indicators, including latency of first fixation (LFF), duration of first fixation (DFF), total fixation durations (TFD), and fixation counts (FC). Each ROI of the two groups were then compared. In addition, a heat zone map was also generated to show the overall visual distribution of each group. After the experiment, based on the eye movement indicators and test scores in the pre-test and post-test phases, statistical analysis was used to examine and evaluate the differences in visual attention and learning outcomes. The results revealed that the gaze sequences of the two prior knowledge groups gazing at the ROIs in theme parks were different, except for the gaze sequence in the circus theme park. Different prior knowledge groups exhibited differences in visual attention in the ROIs fixated on in each amusement park. Additionally, in terms of TFD and FC of different groups in each amusement park, there was no significant difference except in ROI10, ROI16, and ROI18. Moreover, after receiving cognitive comprehension processes introduced in the VR-simulated MIO scenes, students from both groups achieved higher post-test scores compared with pre-test scores, and such differences had statistical significance. In conclusion, the implications of VR eye movement analysis on developing students’ competence related to learning Japanese and cross-cultural aspects, compatible with sustainable development, were presented.

Modern consumers face a dramatic rise in web-based technological advancements and have trouble making rational and proper decisions when they shop online. When they try to make decisions about products and services, they also feel pressured against time when sorting among all of the unnecessary items in the flood of information available on the web. In this sense, they need to use consumer decision-making creativity (CDMC) to make rational decisions. However, unexplored research questions on this subject remain. First, in what ways do task difficulty and time constraints affect visual attention on exploitative and exploratory activities differently? Second, how does the location of the reference (i.e., hints) influence the level of visual attention to exploitative and exploratory activities depending on affordance theory? Third, how do exploratory and exploitative activities affect CDMC? Eye-tracking experiments were conducted with 70 participants to obtain relevant metrics such as total fixation duration (TFD), fixation count (FC), and visit count (VC) to answer these research questions. Our findings suggest that task difficulty influences exploitative activity, whereas time constraint is related to the exploratory activity. The result of the location of hints aligns with the affordance theory for the exploitative activity. Besides, exploratory activity positively affected CDMC, but exploitative activity did not show any effect.

Existing research used visual effort metrics to determine the visual attention patterns of participants with varying skill levels while finding source code defects. While most of the findings of these studies agree on the results for fixation count metrics, there are differences in the results for fixation duration metrics. Therefore, there is a need for further investigations on the use of visual effort metrics to determine the difference in the visual effort of experts and novices between multiple programs. Thus, we aimed to identify the factors affecting the varying results on fixation duration metrics and validate the results on fixation count metrics. We used visual effort metrics to identify the visual attention patterns of high and low-performing students engaged in defect-finding tasks on multiple programs. We performed statistical tests on the total fixation count, fixation counts on the error lines, total fixation duration, and fixation duration on the error lines to determine the difference in the visual attention patterns between the groups. Among the fixation metrics used, only the total fixation duration metric revealed a significant difference between the high and low-performing students across all programs. High-performing students spent less time on simple programs with simple error types but spent more time on complex programs with logical and semantic error types. In contrast, low-performing students focused more attention on easy programs with one or more syntax errors compared to high-performing students. The results of this study could shed some light on the contrasting findings of previous studies regarding fixation duration. These findings suggest that visual attention patterns of high and low-performing students may vary on multiple programs. The amount of visual effort exerted by the group depends upon the program’s complexity, location of errors in the source code, type of errors injected, and the number of lines of code. This implies that the time spent finding the errors may be associated with the characteristics of the programs and the location and type of injected errors. Therefore, researchers must provide detailed information on these characteristics when describing differences in visual effort metrics between subjects engaged in bug-finding tasks.

This study employed driving simulation and eye tracking to explore the situational perception of drivers under various weather and road conditions. This study sampled 16 subjects, all of whom were required to hold a valid driver's license. Experimentation was based on factorial design; the independent variables were weather (sunny, foggy) and road conditions (road work, pedestrians crossing the road, and balls appearing suddenly). The dependent variables included Time to First Fixation (TFF)(sec), First Fixation Duration (FFD) (sec), Total Fixation Duration (TFD) (sec), Fixation Count (FC) (frequency). Results showed that under good weather conditions, drivers are more aware of road conditions, resulting in shorter TFF with resulting higher FC and longer TFD. The influence of road conditions on TFF, FFD, TFD and FC varied according to the situation. Overall, our results demonstrated the feasibility of using eye trackers to explore the situational perception of drivers.

Tracking learners' visual attention during a multimedia presentation in a real classroom

How Users' Gaze Behavior Is Related to Their Quality Evaluation of a Health Website Based on HONcode Principles?