Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 12, 2026

A Method to Quantify Visual Information Processing in Children Using Eye Tracking
Published on: July 9, 2016
Temporal stimulus properties that attract gaze to the periphery and repel gaze from fixation
Alexander C Schütz1, Felix Lossin, Dirk Kerzel
1Abteilung Allgemeine Psychologie, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Gießen, Germany. alexander.c.schuetz@psychol.uni-giessen.de
Abstract:
Humans use saccadic eye movements to fixate different parts of their visual environment. While stimulus features that determine the location of the next fixation in static images have been extensively studied, temporal stimulus features that determine the timing of the gaze shifts received less attention. It is also unclear if stimulus features at the present gaze location can trigger gaze shifts to another location. To investigate these questions, we asked observers to switch their gaze between two blobs. In three different conditions, either the fixated blob, the peripheral blob, or both blobs were flickering. A time-frequency analysis of the flickering noise values, time locked to the gaze shifts, revealed significant phase locking in a time window 300 to 100 ms before the gaze shift at temporal frequencies below 20 Hz. The average phase angles at these time-frequency points indicated that observer's gaze was repelled by decreasing contrast of the fixated blob and attracted by increasing contrast of the peripheral blob. These results show that temporal properties of both, fixated, and peripheral stimuli are capable of triggering gaze shifts.
More Related Videos
06:46Investigating the Deployment of Visual Attention Before Accurate and Averaging Saccades via Eye Tracking and Assessment of Visual Sensitivity
Published on: March 18, 2019
09:27Eye Movements in Visual Duration Perception: Disentangling Stimulus from Time in Predecisional Processes
Published on: January 19, 2024
Related Concept Videos
Anatomy of the Eyeball
Color Vision
Association Areas of the Cortex
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
Gestalt Principles of Perception
Accessory Structures of the Eye