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Quantification of baseline pupillary response and task-evoked pupillary response during constant and incremental task
Prithima R Mosaly1,2, Lukasz M Mazur1,2, Lawrence B Marks1
1a Division of Healthcare Engineering, Department of Radiation Oncology , University of North Carolina Chapel Hill , NC , USA.
Ergonomics
|February 1, 2017
Summary
Quantifying task-evoked pupillary response (TEPR) requires careful consideration of baseline pupil size. Different measurement methods impact results, highlighting the need for standardized approaches in cognitive research and ergonomics.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Human Factors Engineering
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Pupil size changes reflect cognitive workload and arousal.
- Variability in baseline pupil size can influence the measurement of task-evoked pupillary response (TEPR).
- Current methods for quantifying TEPR may not adequately account for baseline shifts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the variability of baseline pupil size and TEPR under different working memory task conditions.
- To compare two common methods for quantifying TEPR: change from trial-specific baseline versus change from a constant baseline.
- To determine how shifts in baseline pupil size affect TEPR measurements.
Main Methods:
- Working memory tasks: constant load (3-letter memorization) and incremental load.
- Two quantification methods for TEPR: trial/load-specific baseline and constant baseline.
- Analysis of pupil size variability across trials and load levels.
Main Results:
- Significant shifts in baseline pupil size were observed between trials (constant load) and load levels (incremental load).
- TEPR was independent of baseline shifts using the trial-specific baseline method only for constant load.
- TEPR was independent of baseline shifts using the constant baseline method only for higher incremental load levels.
Conclusions:
- The choice of method for quantifying baseline pupil size and TEPR significantly impacts study outcomes.
- Accurate assessment of baseline pupil size is critical for reliable TEPR measurement in cognitive studies.
- Findings are particularly relevant for ergonomics applications involving tasks with few trials per condition.
