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Referent expressions and gaze: reference type influences real-world gaze cue utilization
Ross G Macdonald1, Benjamin W Tatler1
1School of Psychology, University of Dundee.
Journal of Experimental Psychology. Human Perception and Performance
|January 27, 2015
Summary
People selectively use gaze cues in real-world interactions, especially when language is descriptive. However, conflicting spatial language can disrupt visual search, even with gaze cues.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Linguistics
Background:
- Gaze cues are vital for communication, complementing spoken language.
- Previous research shows automatic gaze following in lab settings, but real-world application is less understood.
- Language specificity impacts gaze cue use, yet the effect of language *type* remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if automatic gaze following occurs in natural, real-world interactions.
- To investigate how different types of language influence gaze cue utilization.
- To examine the interplay between verbal instructions and non-verbal gaze cues.
Main Methods:
- Participants used mobile eye-trackers during a real-world search task.
- Instructors provided instructions with varying determiners (featural vs. spatial) and gaze cues (absent, congruent, incongruent).
- Gaze following behavior and task performance were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Congruent gaze cues were utilized more with featural language references.
- Incongruent gaze cues were initially followed at chance levels.
- Participants receiving incongruent spatial cues did not benefit from spatial over featural instructions, unlike in the no-gaze condition.
Conclusions:
- Individuals selectively use reliable gaze cues and disregard unreliable ones in real-world settings.
- Visual search can be hindered when spatial gaze cues conflict with spatial language.
- The study highlights the complex integration of verbal and non-verbal cues in dynamic environments.
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