Duration Of First Fixation Research Articles

Capturing Initial Gaze Attraction in Branded Spaces Through VR Eye-Tracking Technology

This paper leverages recent strides in virtual reality (VR) technology to dissect user gaze patterns and initial responses in a VR-based in-store environment, with a focus on how visual elements impact attention in Human–Computer Interaction (HCI). Specifically, this exploratory study focuses on brand-centric components such as logos and colors, while also considering individual variables such as gender and design background. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research combines qualitative and quantitative tools. A VR-integrated eye-tracking system records how participants’ gaze behaves in a virtual retail environment. The study collects data from 50 participants in four scenarios: a control store (Case 1), introduction of the brand’s logo signage (Case 2), infusion of the brand’s primary color (Case 3), and a fusion of logo and color (Case 4). Two key eye-tracking metrics—time to first fixation (TTFF) and first fixation duration (FFD)—are harnessed to scrutinize gaze behavior across elements such as wall color, logo signage, wall display fixtures, and media screens. The research unearths statistically significant effects of visual elements on gaze behavior, with particular emphasis on TTFF and FFD. Gender disparities come to light in Cases 2, 3, and 4, affecting FFD on wall color (AOI 1) and TTFF on brand logo signage (AOI 2) in Case 2. Moreover, disparities in design background surface in Cases 1 and 3. Complementing the eye-tracking data and post-experiment interviews capture users’ initial gaze attraction and preferences, offering valuable insights into their rationale. In essence, this study underscores the transformative potential of VR technology and eye-tracking techniques in HCI and furnishes actionable insights for those seeking to elevate brand recognition and consumer engagement within immersive virtual retail settings.

Visual behavior characteristics of historical landscapes based on eye-tracking technology

ABSTRACT The subjective encounter with architecture encompasses the particular presentation of architectural elements or the overall structure to individuals, taking into account their perception, cognition, and thought processes. The purpose of this research is to investigate the intricate relationship between visual attention directed towards historical architecture and the subjective experiences engendered during the process of observation. Utilizing eye-tracking technology within the realm of virtual reality, this study delves into the observation patterns exhibited by individuals when confronted with historical architecture, specifically focusing on the traditional courtyard residences found in Beijing’s hutongs. The panoramic images, meticulously modeled and rendered, are divided into six distinct areas of interest: base, ground, window&doors, walls, roof, and eaves. The eye-tracking data of 81 participants, who engaged with 10 virtual scenes through the employment of VR headsets, along with their responses to architectural style questionnaires, were systematically gathered. Through comprehensive analysis, encompassing the examination of total fixation duration (TFD), fixation count (FC), first fixation duration (FFD), and time to first fixation (TFF) across the areas of interest (AOIs), in addition to deviations in scores among different architectural areas and styles, notable insights emerged. Results indicate that both professionals and non-professionals allocate heightened attention, as evidenced by TFD, FC, TFF, and FFD, to elements that exhibit greater score deviations in the questionnaires as opposed to those with smaller discrepancies. Moreover, the TFD and FC metrics pertaining to the Windows&doors AOI collectively constitute 40.20% and 40.71%, respectively. Undoubtedly, these figures signify the preeminent focal points within all AOIs. This underscores the pivotal role played by doors and windows in shaping individuals’ judgments pertaining to historical architectural styles. This research provides designers with valuable understanding of the cognitive patterns exhibited by individuals in engaging with aspects of history, which enable them to identify and preserve key elements associated with historical styles. Additionally, it establishes a fundamental cornerstone for future quantitative research endeavors centered around the preservation of historical architectural styles.

An empirical investigation of driver’s eye-catching effect in the entrance zone of freeway tunnels: A naturalistic driving experiment

This study aims to evaluate the impact of different visual attraction environments at the entrance zone of freeway tunnels on drivers' visual performance and subjective mental workload. Through a naturalistic driving experiment conducted on actual roads, participants experienced various visual attraction environments at the entrance zones of freeway tunnels. The selected visual environments included baseline, landscape-style architecture, tip slogan, and billboard scenarios. Objective visual performance was assessed using eye-tracking devices to collect participants' eye movement data, while subjective mental workload was evaluated through the NASA-TLX measurement reports administered after the driving experiment. The results indicate that the visual attraction environments at the entrance zone of freeway tunnels have significant impacts on drivers’ visual attention level, cognitive workload, and subjective mental workload. Under the billboard condition, participants exhibited the longest first fixation duration (FFD) and paid the earliest attention to visual attraction (reflected by participants positioned their initial fixation at the visual attraction farthest from the tunnel entrance zone (DFT)). Additionally, the tip slogan condition resulted in the highest mean fixation duration (MFD), the largest percentage of total fixation duration on the visual attraction (PTFD), and the highest cognitive workload (reflected in maximum pupil diameter (PD)). Billboard at the entrance zone of freeway tunnel had the greatest effect on attracting drivers’ visual attention, while tip slogan resulted in the highest cognitive workload on drivers. The results of the subjective mental workload evaluation (NASA-TLX) also indicated that tip slogan had the greatest impact on drivers’ subjective mental workload. This study provides valuable insights into the potential impact of different visual attraction environments at the entrance zone of freeway tunnels on drivers' eye-catching effect. The results contribute to both theoretical knowledge and practical applications in the field of transportation safety.

A comparative study of the cognitive load of basic-level category, superordinate category and subordinate category.

Some cognitive linguists (Rosch et al. Cognit Psychol 8:382-439, 1976; Ungerer and Schmid An introduction to cognitive linguistics, Pearson Education Limited, London, England, 2006) believe the basic level category has cognitive economy because the basic level category allows obtaining the maximum amount of information about an item with the lowest cognitive effort. Whether it is also true for L2 learners has not been verified so far. This study examined whether Chinese English learners' cognitive load of basic level category is lower than that of superordinate category and subordinate category. The eye movement data, including that of total duration of fixations, total number of fixations, duration of first fixation, and average duration of fixations, generated by 31 Chinese English learners while reading sentences with different levels of category words, were collected and analyzed. The results showed that Chinese English learners' cognitive load of the basic level category was the lowest. This study provides cross-linguistic experimental evidence for the basic level category theory, and also shows the cognitive economy of basic level categories is an intrinsic psychological property, no matter whether it is the first language or the second language that the readers use.

Assessment of changes in gaze patterns during training in point-of-care ultrasound

BackgroundPoint-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a core skill in emergency medicine (EM), however, there is a lack of objective competency measures. Eye-tracking technology is a potentially useful assessment tool, as gaze patterns can reliably discriminate between experts and novices across medical specialties. We aim to determine if gaze metrics change in an independent and predictable manner during ultrasound training.MethodsA convenience sample of first-year residents from a single academic emergency department was recruited. Participants interpreted 16 ultrasound videos of the focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) scan while their gaze patterns were recorded using a commercially available eye-tracking device. The intervention group then completed an introductory ultrasound course whereas the control group received no additional education. The gaze assessment was subsequently repeated. The primary outcome was total gaze duration on the area of interest (AOI). Secondary outcomes included time to fixation, mean duration of first fixation and mean number of fixations on the AOI.Results10 EM residents in the intervention group and 10 non-EM residents in the control group completed the study. After training, there was an 8.8 s increase in the total gaze time on the AOI in the intervention group compared to a 4.0 s decrease in the control group (p = .03). EM residents were also 3.8 s quicker to fixate on the AOI whereas the control group became 2.5 s slower (p = .04). There were no significant interactions on the number of fixations (0.43 vs. 0.18, p = .65) or duration of first fixation on the AOI (0.02 s vs. 0.06 s, p = .63).ConclusionsThere are significant and quantifiable changes in gaze metrics, which occur with incremental learning after an ultrasound course. Further research is needed to validate the serial use of eye-tracking technology in following a learner’s progress toward competency in point-of-care ultrasound image interpretation.

Employing Eye Tracking to Study Visual Attention to Live Streaming: A Case Study of Facebook Live

In recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the development of a new business model, “Live Streaming + Ecommerce”, which is a new method for commercial sales that shares the goal of sustainable economic growth (SDG 8). As information technology finds its way into the digital lives of internet users, the real-time and interactive nature of live streaming has overturned the traditional entertainment experience of audio and video content, moving towards a more nuanced division of labor with multiple applications. This study used a portable eye tracker to collect eye movement information from participants watching Facebook Live, with 31 participants who had experience using the live streaming platform. The four eye movement indicators, namely, latency of first fixation (LFF), duration of first fixation (DFF), total fixation durations (TFD), and the number of fixations (NOF), were used to analyze the distribution of the visual attention in each region of interest (ROI) and explore the study questions based on the ROIs. The findings of this study were as follows: (1) the fixation order of the ROIs in the live ecommerce platform differed between participants of different sexes; (2) the DFF of the ROIs in the live ecommerce platform differed among participants of different sexes; and (3) regarding the ROIs of participants on the live ecommerce platform, participants of different sexes showed the same attention to the live products according to the TFD and NOF eye movement indicators. This study explored the visual search behaviors of existing consumers watching live ecommerce and provides the results as a reference for operators and researchers of live streaming platforms.

The relationship of word processing with L2 reading comprehension and working memory: Insights from eye-tracking

The present study combines both online (eye-tracking) and offline (reading comprehension test) measures to investigate the relationships among word processing, working memory (WM) and second language (L2) reading comprehension performance. Forty-eight Chinese students read an English text with 17 unfamiliar words while their eye movements were recorded with two different settings (L1-glossed and non-glossed). A reading comprehension test and a reading span task were respectively used to evaluate participants' L2 reading comprehension performance and WM capacity. The results indicated that L2 reading comprehension performance was related to first fixation duration (FFD) on unfamiliar words, and the FFD on unfamiliar words was related to participants' WM capacity. Moreover, the effect of unfamiliar words' FFD on L2 reading comprehension performance can be moderated by participants' WM capacity. These relationships were not found when the unfamiliar words were glossed by L1. The results expand our understanding of the role of WM in unfamiliar word processing during L2 reading comprehension.

Depressive Symptoms Account for Loss of Positive Attention Bias in ADHD Patients: An Eye-Tracking Study

Objectives: Depression and ADHD often co-occur and are both characterized by altered attentional processing. Differences and overlap in the profile of attention to emotional information may help explain the co-occurence. We examined negative attention bias in ADHD as neurocognitive marker for comorbid depression. Methods: Patients with depression (n = 63), ADHD (n = 43), ADHD and depression (n = 25), and non-psychiatric controls (n = 68) were compared on attention allocation toward emotional faces. The following eye-tracking indices were used: gaze duration, number of revisits, and location and duration of first fixation. Results: Controls revisited the happy faces more than the other facial expressions. Both the depression and the comorbid group showed significantly less revisits of the happy faces compared to the ADHD and the control group. Interestingly, after controlling for depressive symptoms, the groups no longer differed on the number of revisits. Conclusion: ADHD patients show a relative positive attention bias, while negative attention bias in ADHD likely indicates (sub)clinical comorbid depression.

Research on color coding of fighter jet head-up display key information elements in air–sea flight environment based on eye-tracking technology

HUD is currently the main flight status display commonly used in modern fighter jets. Color coding is an important method in HUD visual information display. Different weather, terrain, climate, time, season, and other environmental phenomena will affect the HUD. The HUD’s multi-color display mode has become a key method to solve the overload display of dynamic and static information in complex flight environments. This paper discusses the use of eye-tracking equipment to record eye movement experimental data using different HUD color schemes, as well as the correct rate and response time to complete the task, in order to evaluate the color combinations of different characters in different high-altitude and sea flight background conditions. Cognitive status was obtained by seven key eye movement indicators (average fixation time, first fixation duration, fixation ratio, fixation time ratio, fixation track length and lookback times, and pupil diameter) designed by color-coded dimensions to evaluate the key element information of the HUD: discernibility, which is related to average fixation time, duration of first fixation, and pupil diameter; perceptibility, which is related to gaze ratio, fixation time ratio, and other indicators; and accessibility, which is related to fixation track length and number of lookbacks. At the same time, the background color brightness interval that affects color matching was obtained, and five key information colors (K1(0, 100, 100), K2(30, 100, 100), K3(300, 100, 100), K4(330, 100, 100), and K5(60, 100, 100)) were selected for experimental exploration to obtain the best matching scheme for color coding of key elements of the HUD against different lightness backgrounds. The results indicate that against a flight background with ocean brightness, ranges are [1–20], [21–40], [41–60], and [61–99] and colors with hues of 30, 300, 60, and 300 are selected for the key information. Finally, the results give an improvement and optimization plan for the HUD. The research conclusion provides some guidance for HUD design and improvement for different flight backgrounds, and a reference for improving pilots' cognitive performance.

How Prior Knowledge Affects Visual Attention of Japanese Mimicry and Onomatopoeia and Learning Outcomes: Evidence from Virtual Reality Eye Tracking

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.

Comparing the Effect of Product-Based Metrics on the Translation Process.

Characteristics of the translation product are often used in translation process research as predictors for cognitive load, and by extension translation difficulty. In the last decade, user-activity information such as eye-tracking data has been increasingly employed as an experimental tool for that purpose. In this paper, we take a similar approach. We look for significant effects that different predictors may have on three different eye-tracking measures: First Fixation Duration (duration of first fixation on a token), Eye-Key Span (duration between first fixation on a token and the first keystroke contributing to its translation), and Total Reading Time on source tokens (sum of fixations on a token). As predictors we make use of a set of established metrics involving (lexico)semantics and word order, while also investigating the effect of more recent ones concerning syntax, semantics or both. Our results show a, particularly late, positive effect of many of the proposed predictors, suggesting that both fine-grained metrics of syntactic phenomena (such as word reordering) as well as coarse-grained ones (encapsulating both syntactic and semantic information) contribute to translation difficulties. The effect on especially late measures may indicate that the linguistic phenomena that our metrics capture (e.g., word reordering) are resolved in later stages during cognitive processing such as problem-solving and revision.

Perception of dental midline deviation and smile attractiveness by eye-tracking and aesthetic ratings

Abstract Aim To evaluate the perception of smile aesthetics and midline deviation considered by orthodontists (ORT), dentists (DT), patient’s-relatives (PR), and laypersons (LP) using an eye-tracking device and survey. Methods The study invited the participation of 42 orthodontists, 51 dentists, 50 patient-relatives, and 52 laypersons. A posed smile photograph of a female was chosen as a base image. The dental midline (DML) was digitally moved 1 mm (DML1R, DML1L), 2 mm (DML2R, DML2L), 3 mm (DML3R, DML3L), and 4 mm (DML4R, DML4L) on the base image’s right (DMLR) and left (DMLL) segments. Eight modified images were subsequently obtained. The base, modified, and repeated images were randomly arranged and uploaded into the Tobii Pro Lab software program for assessment by the participants. An eye-tracking dataset included first fixation duration (FFD), total fixation duration (TFD), and visit counts (VC). The participants also evaluated the photographs on the survey forms via a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and a Likert scale. The intra-group relations and inter-group correlations were evaluated statistically. Results The TFD for the DML2R photograph was found to be statistically significant between the assessment groups (p = 0.026). While the longest fixation time (0.93 sec) belonged to the orthodontists, it was observed that the patient relatives had the shortest fixation time (0.51 sec). The VAS score for the DML2R image was found to be highest in laypersons (p < 0.001). In general, the survey scores of the patient relatives and laypersons were higher. Conclusion The fixation time between the participant groups increased when there was a 2 mm deviation. A 2 mm shift in the DML was noticed by all participant groups and was considered unaesthetic.

The effects of age and verbal ability on word predictability in reading.

Increased predictability effects in older compared to younger adults have been mostly observed in late eye-movement measures during reading. However, it is unclear whether and how these effects may be related to verbal ability, which typically improves with age. Past studies have shown that verbal abilities modulate the predictability effect. Here, we aimed to replicate predictability effects in younger and older adults in a sentence reading paradigm and to investigate how verbal ability modulates the predictability effect. We monitored 26 younger and 27 older adults' eye movements as they read sentences with target words varying in predictability and examined the impact of age and verbal ability, as reflected in vocabulary and print exposure measures. Replicating previous studies, we found that older adults relied more heavily on contextual information in their anticipation of upcoming input in one late measure. In one early measure (first-fixation duration), participants with higher scores in verbal ability showed greater predictability effects, whereas the predictability effect was virtually absent in those with low scores. In one late measure (regression-path duration), age interacted with predictability. However, verbal ability, when included as a covariate in this model, could not account for the age-related increases in predictability effects. Collectively, our findings indicate that verbal ability influences predictability effects in early processing stages, suggesting facilitation of initial word processing and that some aspect of aging other than verbal ability influences predictability effects in late measures. The latter finding most likely reflects a shift toward integrative controlled processes with age. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

State and Trait Rumination Effects on Overt Attention to Reminders of Errors in a Challenging General Knowledge Retrieval Task.

Rumination is a recurrent and repetitive manner of thinking that can be triggered by blockage of personally relevant goals, creating a temporary state of abstract and evaluative self-focus. Particularly when focused on passive “brooding” over one’s problems and feelings, however, rumination can increase negative affect, interfere with problem-solving, and, through a negative feedback cycle, become a chronic trait-like style of responding to personal challenges, particularly in women. Given the pervasiveness of rumination and its potential impact on cognitive processes and emotional states, the present study asks how it impacts attention to feedback that either reminds individuals of goal-state discrepancies (reminders of errors) or could help to remediate them (corrective information). Using eye-tracking, we examined both state and trait rumination effects on overt measures of attention [first fixation duration (FFD) and total fixation duration (TFD)] during simultaneous presentation of these two types of feedback following failed attempts to answer challenging verbal general knowledge questions (average accuracy ∼30%). After a pre-induction baseline, we induced either a state of rumination using a series of writing exercises centered on the description of an unresolved academic concern or a state of distraction by centering writing on the description of a neutral school day. Within our women-only sample, the Rumination condition, which writing analysis showed was dominated by moody brooding, resulted in some evidence for increased initial dwell time (FFD) on reminders of incorrect answers, while the Distraction condition, which did not elicit any rumination during writing, resulted in increased FFD on the correct answer. Trait brooding augmented the expression of the more negative, moody brooding content in the writing samples of both Induction conditions, but only influenced TFD measures of gaze duration and only during the pre-induction baseline, suggesting that once the inductions activated rumination or distraction states, these suppressed the trait effects in this sample. These results provide some support for attentional-bias models of rumination (attentional scope model, impaired disengagement hypothesis) and have implications for how even temporary states of rumination or distraction might impact processing of academic feedback under conditions of challenge and failure.

Impact of mainstream classroom setting on attention of children with autism spectrum disorder: an eye-tracking study

It has long been reported that children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit attention difficulties while learning. They tend to focus on irrelevant information and can easily be distracted. As a result, they are often confined to a one-to-one teaching environment, with fewer distractions and social interactions than would be present in a mainstream educational setting. In recent years, inclusive mainstream schools have been growing in popularity due to government policies on equality rights. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate attentional patterns of children with ASD in mainstream schools. This study aims to explore the attentional behaviors of children with ASD in a virtual reality simulated classroom. We analyzed four eye-gaze behaviors and performance scores of 45 children: children with ASD (ASD n = 20) and typically developing children (TD n = 25) when performing attention tasks. The gaze behaviors included time to first fixate (TTFF), first fixation duration (FFD), average fixation duration (AFD) and the sum of fixation count (SFC) on fourteen areas of interest (AOIs) in the classroom. Our results showed that children with ASD exhibit similar gaze behaviors to TD children, but with significantly lower performance scores and SFC on the target AOI. These findings showed that classroom settings can influence attentional patterns and the academic performance of children with ASD. Further studies are needed on different modalities for supporting the attention of children with ASD in a mainstream setting.

Early, but not overwhelming: The effect of prior context on segmenting overlapping ambiguous strings when reading Chinese.

The current study investigated how the prior context influences word segmentation of overlapping ambiguous strings when reading Chinese. Chinese readers' eye movements were recorded as they read sentences containing a three-character overlapping ambiguous string (ABC), where both AB and BC were two-character words. In the informative condition, prior contexts provided syntactic information that supported either the first word segmentation (AB-C) or the second word segmentation (A-BC). The neutral condition did not provide syntactic constraint for word-segmentation. The post-target contexts were syntactically consistent with either the first word (AB-C) or the second word (A-BC) segmentation. The results showed that there were higher skipping rates and shorter first-fixation durations on the overlapping ambiguous string region in the informative AB-C condition than those in the informative A-BC condition, whereas no difference between the AB-C and A-BC segmentation types was found in the neutral condition. Readers still made regressions into the overlapping ambiguous string region in the informative condition. These results imply that readers use sentence context information immediately to segment the overlapping ambiguous words, but they do not use the context information fully. The first word (AB) has processing advantages over the second word (BC), suggesting a left-side word advantage.

M79. COMPONENTS OF VISUAL SEARCH IN EARLY-ONSET SCHIZOPHRENIA, ADHD AND ASD: AN EYE TRACKING STUDY

BackgroundSuperior visual search is a replicated finding in the literature on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Conversely, results from the literature on Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are more mixed, with some studies showing typical performance and others pointing out less efficient serial search in ADHD. Finally, most studies on visual search in Schizophrenia highlighted deficits in focal attentional processing. However, similarities between attentional impairments in the three clinical groups have also been reported. The primary goal of our study is to determine the diagnostic specificity of search deficits. To our knowledge, the literature systematically comparing the visual search performance in patients with ADHD and Schizophrenia is limited to one study, while no study has so far included an ASD group in the comparison.MethodsFour groups of young adults, namely 29 typically developing (TD; 19.8±1.6, 41% males), 26 with ASD (19.7±1.9, 96% males), 28 with ADHD (19.9±1.4, 54% males) and 21 with Early-Onset Schizophrenia (SCZ; 19.7±1.7, 71% males) were presented a visual search task in which they had to quickly detect a target item among several similar-to-target distractor items. Eye movements were recorded binocularly with the Eye Link 1000+ system. Participants were matched on age and full-scale IQ. The ocular-motor behaviour was analysed using Data Viewer 3.2 and SPSS 2.3.ResultsInitiation of search – latency of the first saccade on the search grid – was typical in all participants except those with SCZ, who had significant higher intra-subject variability (ISV) than both TD and ADHD, but no delay in initiating search. Within search, ASD manifested significantly reduced mean and ISV of total search duration – between the first saccade on the grid and the last fixation on target – and of the first part of search – between the first saccade on the grid and the first fixation on target – in comparison with all other groups, including TD. Conversely, SCZ and ASD were significantly more variable than TD and ADHD regarding the duration of first fixation on target, while also being, to a lesser extent, slower than ADHD, but not than TD. Additionally, SCZ needed a higher frequency of fixations on target than ASD, but not compared to ADHD or TD, before making a decision. In the post-search phase – between the onset of the last fixation on target and the button press on the keyboard – SCZ were the slowest and most variable group, followed by ASD and ADHD who differed?non-significantly? from controls. The overall search performance – between trial onset and button press – resulted in typical manual mean RT in ASD and ADHD while being atypically longer in SCZ, compared to all other groups. Compared to TD, ISV was at par in ADHD, lower in ASD, and higher in SCZ.DiscussionResults suggest that the ability to extract individual targets is intact in ASD and ADHD. However, ASD only show a bias toward local information, as indicated by more variable first fixation duration, despite intact global processing. By contrast, lower search efficiency in SCZ might be explained by both (a) abnormal global processing due to impairment in the guidance mechanisms that affect the time until the first fixation on target, and (b) a deficit in central discrimination, with resulting difficulties in extracting critical features of the target.

LO82: Exploring eye-tracking technology to assess competency in point-of-care ultrasound

Introduction: Assessment of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) competency has been reliant on practical, visual and written examinations performed 1-on-1 with an examiner. These tools attempt to assess competency through subjective ratings, checklists and multiple-choice questions that are labour intensive using surrogate measures. Eye-tracking has been used on a limited basis in various fields of medicine for training and assessment. This technology explores visual processing and holds great promise as a tool to monitor training progress towards the development of expertise. We hypothesize that eye-tracking may differentiate novices and experts as they progress to become competent in interpretation of POCUS images and provide an objective measure in assessment of competency. Methods: Medical students, residents and attending physicians working in an academic emergency department were recruited. Participants viewed a series of 16 ultrasound video clips in a POCUS protocol for Focused Assessment using Sonography in Trauma (FAST). The gaze pattern of the participants was recorded using a commercially available eye-tracking device. The primary outcome was the gaze parameters including total gaze time in the area of interest (AOI), average time to fixation on the AOI, number of fixations in the AOI and average duration of first fixation on the AOI. Secondary outcome was the accuracy on the interpretation of the FAST scan. Results: Four novices and eight experts completed this study. The total gaze time in the AOI (mean +/- SD) was 76.72 +/- 18.84s among experts vs 53.64 +/- 10.33s among novices (p = 0.048), average time to fixation on the AOI was 0.561 +/- 0.319s vs 1.048 +/- 0.280s (p = 0.027), number of fixations in the AOI was 158.9 +/- 29.0 vs 121.8 +/- 17.5 (p = 0.042) and average duration of first fixation was 0.444 +/- 0.119s vs 0.390 +/- 0.024s (p = 0.402). The accuracy of the answers was 79.7 +/- 14.1% vs 45.3 +/- 21.9% (p = 0.007). Conclusion: In this pilot study, eye tracking shows potential to differentiate between POCUS experts and novices by their gaze patterns. Gaze patterns captured by eye tracking may not necessarily translate to cognitive processing. However, it allows educators to visualise the thought processes of the learner by their gaze patterns and provide insight on how to guide them towards competency. Future studies are needed to further validate the metrics for competency in POCUS applications.

Eye Tracking as a Tool to Identify Mood in Aphasia: A Feasibility Study

Background. Persons with aphasia often present with low mood/depression, which can negatively affect their quality of life. The validity and reliability of existing depression measures for aphasia have been called into question. Eye tracking in nonstroke populations is reliable in identifying low mood/depression. Depressed persons are biased to negative emotions compared with nondepressed persons and have an absence of bias to positive emotions. However, nondepressed persons may be biased to positive emotions. Objective. To examine the feasibility of using eye tracking to measure mood in persons with aphasia. Methods. We recruited 22 persons with chronic aphasia and 12 healthy controls. Participants completed 2 self-report measures of mood. They also viewed faces that showed happy, sad, and neutral facial expressions during eye tracking. We analyzed 2 eye tracking indices: initial gaze orientation and gaze maintenance to happy, sad, and neutral faces. Results. For initial gaze orientation, participants with aphasia fixated faster on emotional faces compared with healthy controls but directed their gaze less often to happy faces compared with healthy controls. For gaze maintenance components, the duration of first fixation and total fixation duration were shorter on sad faces for participants with aphasia compared with healthy controls. Conclusion. Use of eye tracking with faces representing different mood states is feasible in persons with aphasia. Although there were some similarities, participants with aphasia had different gaze patterns to emotional faces compared with healthy controls. Further research is needed to establish whether this is a valid and reliable method of mood assessment.

There Is an "Eye" in Team: Exploring the Interplay Between Emotion, Gaze Behavior, and Collective Efficacy in Team Sport Settings.

Little is understood about the attentional mechanisms that lead to perceptions of collective efficacy. This paper presents two studies that address this lack of understanding. Study one examined participant's (N = 59) attentional processes relating to positive, neutral, or negative emotional facial photographs, when instructed to select their “most confident” or “least confident” team. Eye gaze metrics of first fixation duration (FFD), fixation duration (FD), and fixation count (FC) were measured alongside individual perceptions of collective efficacy and emotional valence of the teams selected. Participants had shorter FFD, longer FD, and more FC on positive faces when instructed to select their most confident team (p < 0.05). Collective efficacy and emotional valence were significantly greater when participants selected their most confident team (p < 0.05). Study two explored the influence of video content familiarity of team-based observation interventions on attentional processes and collective efficacy in interdependent team-sport athletes (N = 34). When participants were exposed to familiar (own team/sport) and unfamiliar (unknown team/sport) team-based performance video, eye tracking data revealed similar gaze behaviors for the two conditions in terms of areas of interest. However, collective efficacy increased most for the familiar condition. Study one results indicate that the emotional expressions of team members influence both where and for how long we look at potential team members, and that conspecifics' emotional expression impacts on our perceptions of collective efficacy. For Study two, given the apparent greater increase in collective efficacy for the familiar condition, the similar attentional processes evident for familiar and unfamiliar team footage suggests that differences in meaning of the observed content dictates collective efficacy perceptions. Across both studies, the findings indicate the importance of positive emotional vicarious experiences when using team-based observation interventions to improve collective efficacy in teams.