Total Gaze Duration Research Articles

The Effects of Layout Order on Interface Complexity: An Eye-Tracking Study for Dashboard Design.

This study investigated the effect of layout order on the complexity of the dashboard interface based on screen-based eye trackers. By simplifying and abstracting dashboard interfaces and incorporating subjective ratings (symmetry and unity calculations), we successfully manipulated the levels of complexity and layout order of the interface materials. Using four types of eye movement data (total fixation count, total gaze duration, scanning paths, and hotspot maps) and behavioral data, we compared participants' visual search behavior on interfaces with different layout orders and complexity levels. Experiment 1 revealed a significant interaction between layout order and interface complexity, with participants performing significantly better in the high-level layout order condition. Experiment 2 confirmed that the position of the core chart plays a crucial role in users' visual search behavior and that the optimal layout order for the dashboard is to place the core chart on the left side of the interface's horizontal axis, with partial symmetry in the no-core chart areas. This study highlights the effectiveness of eye-tracking techniques in user interface design research and provides valuable insights into optimizing dashboard interface design. Designers should adopt the design principle of "order is more" in addition to "less is more" and consider designing the core chart in the left-center position.

Integration and development of modern art design and environmental design in the context of deep learning

Abstract In the rapid development of digitalization, the combination of artificial intelligence technology and environmental art design is expected to gradually change the design process and promote the sustainable development of design. After specifically exploring the application of deep learning technology in the integration of modern art and environmental design, this paper utilizes the generative adversarial network under the deep learning model to design the intelligent color-matching model integrating visual aesthetics and the intelligent environmental art style generating a model based on CycleGAN, respectively and conducts the perceptual intention analysis of the environmental art design works under the intelligent generation to explore its developmental progression. The results of the eye movement experiment show that the correlation coefficients between the perceptual imagery score data of the four groups of environmental art designs are all in the range of 0.433 to 0.599, with a moderate positive correlation. Among them, the correlation coefficients between the total access time, gaze duration, gaze number, and perceptual imagery score are close to 0.6, and the significance coefficients are all less than 0.05, which indicates that the automatic generation of modern art design and environmental design proposed in this paper has a better user aesthetic preference. Introducing AI-assisted sustainable design can ensure the sustainability and effectiveness of the design solutions in practical applications, thus promoting the entire environmental art design industry to develop in a greener and more sustainable direction.

Distraction and visual search characteristics of young drivers when using navigation system displays

Navigation systems are fast and efficient sources of road information for drivers. However, they can increase the potential for accidents by distracting drivers. This study investigated the impact of navigation systems on driver distraction and visual search under various driving conditions. Using a driving simulator, eye-tracking technology recorded visual search data from twenty young drivers. The experiment analyzed factors such as driving environment (urban and rural), illumination level (day and night), and navigation system display size (large and small), as well as their interactions. Multiple eye movement metrics were employed, including duration and frequency of GPS fixation, dwell duration on the road ahead, and dwelling on mirrors and side windows. Statistical analysis employed repeated measures ANOVA to analyze the data. Findings revealed that small GPS displays caused greater distraction in terms of average and total gaze duration. Additionally, distraction increased during daytime driving conditions. In terms of visual search, wider and more dispersed search patterns were observed during the day, resulting in improved driving performance. This study aims to compare small and large navigation displays to identify the more effective option in reducing driver distractions. The research contributes to understanding driver distraction and visual search when using navigation system displays.

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.

The Hierarchical Relationship Between the Relational-Self and the Collective-Self During Attention Processing.

BackgroundUnder the Chinese collectivist cultural system, people emphasize social connections with close others and members of in-groups. Collectivism can be divided into the following two forms: relational collectivism (privileges relational self [RS]) and group collectivism (emphasizes collective self [CS]). Previous researchers have found a hierarchy between the RS and CS, resulting in different degrees of recognition advantages. However, the hierarchy between the RS and CS is unclear and may depend on the specific processing stage. Therefore, this research compared the hierarchy between these two selves during different processing stages using an eye-movement method.MethodsThe sample consisted of thirty-eight young adults aged between 18 and 24 years old (M = 20.45, SD= 1.62). Each participant finished a dot-probe task featuring high-relevant (HR, ie one’s mother’s name and China) and low-relevant (LR, ie, name of a famous person and USA) information about the RS and CS and neutral information. Further, the eye-movement (EM) indices were collected simultaneously.ResultsA stronger reaction time bias and longer total gaze duration revealed that young people in China focus more on RS information, indicating that Chinese people prioritize the RS over the CS at late stages of attentional processing.ConclusionInformation on interpersonal relationships and information on the in-group both catch people’s attention quickly and easily, but only RS information can maintain attention for longer. Understanding the hierarchy of the RS and the CS may provide more evidence for self-construal in the Chinese collectivist cultural context. The importance of the RS prompting that the interpersonal and close relationships are more important to the development of the self, suggesting that it is necessary to pay more attention to the impact of interpersonal support on people’s mental health in clinical applications.

A Novel Approach to Increase Attention during Mirror Therapy among Stroke Patients: A Video-Based Behavioral Analysis.

Stroke is a major cause of disability and an evident rehabilitation strategy is crucial. Mirror therapy (MT) is one of the popular rehabilitation methods that is known to be effective as the patients benefit from the mirror illusion. However, the patient’s attention to the mirror illusion during treatment is unclear. Therefore, the present study assesses the duration and frequency of the mirror gaze, distraction, and preparation of sixteen stroke patients during two MT methods using a behavioral coding software. During the 30 min treatment, the total mirror gaze duration during conventional bilateral MT (BMT) was 564.04 s, while it was 1482.45 s in unilateral MT using a screen (UMT). The total distracted time was 945.61 s in BMT, while it was only 162.03 s in UMT. The total preparatory duration was 290.35 s in BMT and 155.53 s in UMT. The total number of distracted bouts were 136.45 in BMT, while it was 73.38 in UMT. The total number of preparatory bouts were 18.42 in BMT and 9.56 in UMT. The average times of gaze duration per bout were 5.52 s in BMT and 21.81 s in UMT. The average times of distraction per bout were 9.22 s in BMT and 3.00 s in UMT. The total number of mirror gaze bouts and average time of preparation per bout did not present a statistical significance in the comparisons of the two methods. This study assesses two methods of MT using observational coding software to evaluate the duration and frequency of the mirror gaze during treatment. The results suggest that UMT may be an alternative option to provide MT for stroke patients to increase their attention towards the mirror.

Gender differences in attentive bias during social information processing in schizophrenia: An eye-tracking study.

Interpersonal communication is a specific scenario in which patients with psychiatric symptoms may manifest different behavioral patterns due to psychopathology. This was a pilot study by eye-tracking technology to investigate attentive bias during social information processing in schizophrenia. We enrolled 39 patients with schizophrenia from Shanghai Mental Health Center and 42 age-, gender- and education-matched healthy controls. The experiment was a free-viewing task, in which pictures with three types of degree of interpersonal communication were shown. We used two measures: 1) initial fixation duration, 2) total gaze duration. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was used to determine symptom severity. The ratio of first fixation duration for pictures of communicating vs. non-communicating persons was significantly lower in patients than in controls (Mann-Whitney U=512, p=0.004). We found that male patients showed a significantly lower ratio of first fixation duration than male controls (Mann-Whitney U=190, p=0.028), while it was marginally lower in female patients than female controls (Mann-Whitney U=77, p=0.057). The ratio of first fixation duration for pictures of communicating persons vs. no persons was negatively correlated with PANSS negative symptoms in male patients (rho=-0.458, p=0.024). In contrast, it was negatively correlated with PANSS positive symptoms in female patients (-0.701, p=0.004). These findings suggest altered attentive bias during social information processing with a pattern of avoidance at first sight towards pictures of communicating persons in schizophrenia. It is worthwhile to note that social functioning impairment is associated with the severity of symptoms.

Evaluating driver comprehension of the roadway environment to retain accountability of safety during driving automation

Driver comprehension is a substantial component of situation awareness that involves the ability of an individual to understand the significance of an object, traffic sign, or hazard while driving. An increase in crashes related to autonomous driving systems has raised a concern regarding the safety of other roadway users due to the diminishing accountability resulting from a general lack of understanding of the limitations or disregard of the safety protocols by users. To keep drivers vigilant when engaged in partial automated systems, a methodology to monitor real-time driver comprehension was proposed. A driving simulator study consisting of 90 participants, equally split between males and females, was executed to establish driver comprehension in six different variations of driving difficulty. Joint probability density functions were created by considering percent time spent gazing, answers to probe questions, and driving performance. Based on these density functions, five levels of comprehension were devised and assigned thresholds. Overall, as task difficulty increased, a non-linear deterioration in driving speed along with an increase in total gaze duration was observed before comprehension was attained. A two-step validation protocol was also proposed to ensure similar levels of comprehension to non-automated driving from the human driver, when engaged in early forms of automation. The proposed real-time driver comprehension monitoring constitutes a first step toward developing a methodology to reinstate the accountability of safety of other roadway users when engaged in driver-in-the-loop automation systems.

Viewing patterns regarding panoramic radiographs with different pathological lesions: an eye-tracking study.

The aim of this study was to examine how dental students vary their viewing patterns of panoramic radiographs during different levels of dental education. Two groups of students (total number = 48, n = 24) in different grades (second and fifth clinical semester) were compared. The second clinical semester participated twice, as during the second clinical semester a specific lecture on dental radiology and diagnosis is held. The first viewing took place at the beginning of the semester (2a), the second at the end of it (2e). The fifth semester (5e) represents students shortly before graduation. While viewing 20 panoramic radiographs showing specific pathologies, the eye movement was captured by an eye-tracker. After a maximum of 60 s per image, the students had to report a suspected diagnosis. Every panoramic radiograph included a pathological lesion which was diagnosed by an expert observer who also defined the areas of interest (AOI). The images were presented in the same order to each participant. The metric data recorded by the tracking-system included total time to first fixation, total fixation count, total gaze duration and coordinates of the fixation in and outside an area of interest. In addition, parameters like the completeness of scanning and the suspected diagnosis were analysed. Differences between the groups were assessed for statistical significance and associations between level of different grades, viewing time, completeness of scanning and correctness of diagnosis were computed. 2e was significantly faster (p < 0,001), whereas 5e was significantly (p < 0.001) more likely to diagnose correctly and also to scan more completely. Scanning duration did not significantly influence the correctness of diagnosis. The lower edges of the panoramic radiographs were not scanned as often as the centre of the image. Bony lesions were generally found to be difficult to interpret and significant findings located in the sinus were overlooked the most. The higher semester had a more complete viewing pattern and diagnosed correctly with a higher percentage. After hearing the mentioned lecture, the second semester scanned faster and mentioned the AOI more often but could not make a right diagnosis.

Eye tracking and attentional bias for depressive internet memes in depression

Previous research highlights the potential benefits of engaging with depressive internet memes for those experiencing symptoms of depression. This study aimed to determine whether: compared to non-depressed controls, individuals experiencing depressive symptoms were quicker to orient and maintain overall attention for internet memes depicting depressive content relative to neutral memes. N = 21 individuals were grouped based on the severity of reported depression symptoms using the PhQ-9. Specifically, a score of: ≤ 4 denoted the control group; and ≥ 15 the depressive symptoms group. Participants viewed a series of meme pairs depicting depressive and neutral memes for periods of 4000 ms. Data for the first fixation onset and duration, total fixation count and total fixation and gaze duration of eye-movements were recorded. A significant group x meme-type interaction indicated that participants with depressive symptoms displayed significantly more fixations on depressive rather than neutral memes. These outcomes provide suggestive evidence for the notion that depressive symptoms are associated with an attentional bias towards socio-emotionally salient stimuli.

Perspective-taking influences attentional deployment towards facial expressions of pain: an eye-tracking study.

Empathetic perspective-taking (PT) may be critical in modulating attention and associated responses to another's pain. However, the differential effects of imagining oneself to be in the pain sufferer's situation ("Self-perspective") or imagining the negative impacts on the pain sufferer's experience ("Other-perspective") on attention have not been studied. The effects of observer PT (Self vs Other) and level of facial pain expressiveness (FPE) upon attention to another person's pain was investigated. Fifty-two adults were assigned to 1 of 3 PT conditions; they were instructed to view pairs of pain expressions and neutral faces and either (1) consider their own feelings (Self-perspective), (2) consider the feelings of the person in the picture (Other-perspective), or (3) received no further instructions (Control). Eye movements provided indices of early (probability and duration of first fixation) and later (total gaze duration) attentional deployment. Pain faces were more likely to be fixated upon first. A significant first fixation duration bias towards pain was observed, which increased with increasing levels of FPE, and was higher in the Self-PT than the Control condition. The proportion of total gaze duration on pain faces was higher in both experimental conditions than the Control condition. This effect was moderated by FPE in the Self-PT condition; there was a significant increase from low to high FPE. When observers attend to another's facial display of pain, top-down influences (such as PT) and bottom-up influences (such as sufferer's FPE) interact to control deployment and maintenance of attention.

Analysis of selected off-road glances during driving in real road traffic

The aim of this ongoing research has been the analysis of driver visual behavior in real road traffic. The paper deals with analysis of duration of selected off-road glances. The total gaze duration depending on mirror type has been analysed and also the total gaze duration depending on the navigation task type. For the purpose of this study eye-tracking technology has been used. Eye-tracking method is used to measure motion of an eye relatively to a head. The total gaze duration depending on mirror type has been analysed and also the total gaze duration depending on the navigation task type. The average value of total off-road glances regarding to the checking situation in vehicle mirrors is 1,2 s. The glance frequency distribution shows that the drivers used the right rear-view mirror minorly. As evidenced by the obtained results, the total off-road glance time on the navigation system is dependent on the type of the navigation task. The average value of total off-road glances regarding to the use of the navigation without audio information is 0,9 s, with audio and video navigation system is the average off-road glance time 0,6 s.

Eye Tracking and Attentional Bias for Depressive Internet Memes in Depression

Background: Previous research highlights the potential benefits of engaging with depressive internet memes for those experiencing symptoms of depression. This study aimed to determine whether: compared to non- depressed controls, individuals experiencing depressive symptoms were quicker to orient and maintain overall attention for internet memes depicting depressive content relative to neutral memes. Methods: N=21 individuals were grouped based on the severity of reported depression symptoms using the PhQ-9. Specifically, a score of: 4 denoted the control group; and 15 the depressive symptoms group. Participants viewed a series of meme pairs depicting depressive and neutral memes for periods of 4000 milliseconds. Data for the first fixation onset and duration, and total gaze duration of eye-movements were recorded. Results: A significant group x meme-type interaction indicated that participants with depressive symptoms spent significantly more time observing depressive rather than neutral memes. Limitations: The small sample size may have limited our ability to detect interaction effects at the 5% alpha level. Conclusions: These outcomes provide suggestive evidence for the notion that depressive symptoms are associated with and attentional bias towards emotionally salient stimuli.

Visual attention patterns of team leaders during delivery room resuscitation

AimTo assess visual attention of neonatal team leaders during delivery room resuscitation of preterm infants using eye tracking glasses. MethodsProspective observational eye tracking study. Gaze fixations and sequences were captured, categorized, and mapped during the first 5 min of the resuscitations. Gaze fixation metrics of total gaze duration, visit count, and visit duration were summarized and compared based on interventions performed and provider training level. Fixation sequences were compared between attending neonatologists and fellows. ResultsDuring 18 eye tracking recordings, practitioners focused most of their cumulative visual attention on the infant (median total gaze duration 57%, interquartile range [IQR] 38–61%), followed by monitors (24%, IQR 13–46%), clinical staff (5%, IQR 1–8%), other physical objects (4%, IQR 3–6%), T-piece resuscitator (2%, IQR 0–4%) and the Apgar timer (1%, IQR 0–2%). Visual attention parameters varied according to intervention, with higher visit counts on the infant during corrective ventilation steps than during Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) or Positive Pressure Ventilation (PPV), and longer visit durations on monitors during PPV. Time and frequency-based measures of visual attention did not significantly differ by provider training level, but patterned fixation sequences were identified among attending neonatologists that were not observed in fellows. ConclusionTeam leaders predominantly gazed upon the infant and monitors during resuscitation, and visual attention parameters varied depending on the respiratory interventions performed. Attending neonatologists exhibited patterned fixation sequences that were not observed in fellows. Study results may have implications for optimizing delivery room design and training novice providers.

Chronic Pain Patients' Gaze Patterns toward Pain-Related Information: Comparison between Pictorial and Linguistic Stimuli.

Background and Objectives: The attentional bias and information processing model explained that individuals who interpret pain stimuli as threatening may increase their attention toward pain-related information. Previous eye tracking studies found pain attentional bias among individuals with chronic pain; however, those studies investigated this phenomenon by using only one stimulus modality. Therefore, the present study investigated attentional engagement to pain-related information and the role of pain catastrophizing on pain attentional engagement to pain-related stimuli among chronic pain patients by utilizing both linguistic and visual stimulus. Materials and Methods: Forty chronic pain patients were recruited from the rehabilitation center, the back pain clinic, and the rheumatology department of Chung-Ang University Hospital in Seoul, Korea. Patients observed pictures of faces and words displaying pain, presented simultaneously with neutral expressions, while their eye movements were measured using the eye tracking system. A t-test and ANOVA were conducted to compare stimulus pairs for the total gaze duration. Results: Results revealed that chronic pain patients demonstrated attentional preference toward pain words but not for pain faces. An ANOVA with bias scores was conducted to investigate the role of pain catastrophizing on attentional patterns. Results indicated that chronic pain patients with high pain catastrophizing scores gazed significantly longer at pain- and anger-related words than neutral words compared to those with low pain catastrophizing scores. The same patterns were not observed for the facial expression stimulus pairs. Conclusions: The results of the present study revealed attentional preference toward pain-related words and the significant role of pain catastrophizing on pain attentional engagement to pain-related words. However, different patterns were observed between linguistic and visual stimuli. Clinical implications related to use in pain treatment and future research suggestions are discussed.

Attention for emotion associated with hypomanic personality traits: Eye-tracking reveals a positive bias independent of mood

BackgroundPrevious research has identified altered processing of emotional information associated with the bipolar spectrum, but results have been inconsistent. The current study assessed whether hypomanic personality traits, a potential indicator of bipolar risk, are associated with biases in attention to emotional facial stimuli, even after controlling for mood state. MethodsParticipants (N = 135) completed measures assessing current mood symptoms, positive and negative affect, and hypomanic personality traits. They then completed an eye-tracking task measuring two indices of attention (i.e., mean initial orientation latency, mean total gaze duration) for happy, sad, angry, and neutral facial expressions. ResultsEven after controlling for mood state, hypomanic personality traits were associated with a bias for emotion faces as well as a trend towards faster orientation to happy facial expressions. LimitationsDue to relatively low levels of mania in this sample, further work is needed to assess the extent to which these effects exist at clinical levels of depression or mania. Additionally, further work is needed to determine if such a bias represents a risk factor for the development of bipolar disorder. ConclusionsHypomanic personality traits appear to be associated with differences in early attention for emotional information.

Implicit and explicit bodily emotions and social functioning in schizophrenia

Previous research has identified altered processing of emotional information associated with the bipolar spectrum, but results have been inconsistent. The current study assessed whether hypomanic personality traits, a potential indicator of bipolar risk, are associated with biases in attention to emotional facial stimuli, even after controlling for mood state.Participants (N = 135) completed measures assessing current mood symptoms, positive and negative affect, and hypomanic personality traits. They then completed an eye-tracking task measuring two indices of attention (i.e., mean initial orientation latency, mean total gaze duration) for happy, sad, angry, and neutral facial expressions.Even after controlling for mood state, hypomanic personality traits were associated with a bias for emotion faces as well as a trend towards faster orientation to happy facial expressions.Due to relatively low levels of mania in this sample, further work is needed to assess the extent to which these effects exist at clinical levels of depression or mania. Additionally, further work is needed to determine if such a bias represents a risk factor for the development of bipolar disorder.Hypomanic personality traits appear to be associated with differences in early attention for emotional information.

Sleep-Related Attentional Bias for Faces Depicting Tiredness in Insomnia: Evidence From an Eye-Tracking Study.

To date, evidence of an attentional bias in insomnia has mostly been obtained through reaction time tasks, with a limited number of studies using eye tracking. Here, using an eye-tracking paradigm, this study sought to determine whether individuals with insomnia display an attentional bias for novel faces depicting tiredness. Individuals with insomnia (n = 20) and normal sleepers (n = 20) viewed a series of face pairs depicting neutral and tired expressions each for periods of 4000 milliseconds. Eye movements were recorded using eye tracking, and first fixation onset, first fixation duration, total fixation duration, and total gaze duration were examined for three interest regions (eyes, nose, mouth). Significant group × face interactions for total fixation duration and total gaze duration indicated that, regardless of interest-region, participants with insomnia spent more time fixating on and observing tired faces relative to neutral faces when compared with normal sleepers. Additionally, significant group × face × interest-region interactions for total fixation duration and total gaze duration indicated that participants with insomnia spent more time observing the eye region of the tired faces than the eye region of the neutral faces when compared with normal sleepers. Individuals with insomnia display an attentional bias toward tired faces, more specifically for the eye region compared to normal sleepers. These findings contribute to our understanding of face perception in insomnia and provide more objective support for cognitive models of insomnia, suggesting that individuals with insomnia selectively attend to faces for tiredness cues.

Visual attention on a respiratory function monitor during simulated neonatal resuscitation: an eye-tracking study

ObjectiveA respiratory function monitor (RFM) may improve positive pressure ventilation (PPV) technique, but many providers do not use RFM data appropriately during delivery room resuscitation. We sought to use eye-tracking...

Pet-directed speech draws adult dogs\u2019 attention more efficiently than Adult-directed speech

Humans speak to dogs using a special speech register called Pet-Directed Speech (PDS) which is very similar to Infant-Directed Speech (IDS) used by parents when talking to young infants. These two type of speech share prosodic features that are distinct from the typical Adult-Directed Speech (ADS): a high pitched voice and an increased pitch variation. So far, only one study has investigated the effect of PDS on dogs’ attention. We video recorded 44 adult pet dogs and 19 puppies when listening to the same phrase enounced either in ADS or in PDS or in IDS. The phrases were previously recorded and were broadcasted via a loudspeaker placed in front of the dog. The total gaze duration of the dogs toward the loudspeaker, was used as a proxy of attention. Results show that adult dogs are significantly more attentive to PDS than to ADS and that their attention significantly increases along with the rise of the fundamental frequency of human’ speech. It is likely that the exaggerated prosody of PDS is used by owners as an ostensive cue for dogs that facilitates the effectiveness of their communication, and should represent an evolutionarily determined adaptation that benefits the regulation and maintenance of their relationships.