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A Critical Test of Temporal and Spatial Accuracy of the Tobii T60XL Eye Tracker
James D Morgante1, Rahman Zolfaghari1, Scott P Johnson1
1Department of Psychology University of California.
Insights
Infant eye tracking accuracy is questionable. This study found delays and drifts in oculomotor response times and spatial inaccuracies with the Tobii T60XL, impacting developmental research reliability.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Human-Computer Interaction
Background:
- Infant eye tracking is increasingly used for developmental insights.
- Concerns exist regarding the temporal and spatial accuracy of eye tracking systems.
- Optimal software for infant eye tracking flexibility is undetermined.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the temporal and spatial accuracy of the Tobii T60XL eye tracker.
- To assess oculomotor response times and spatial deviation in adults and infants.
- To determine software's impact on experimental flexibility.
Main Methods:
- Utilized visual latency and spatial accuracy tasks with adults and infants.
- Collected data from the Tobii T60XL eye tracker.
- Analyzed oculomotor response times and spatial accuracy deviations.
Main Results:
- Revealed systematic delays and drifts in oculomotor response times.
- Observed spatial accuracy deviations exceeding manufacturer estimates.
- Found experimental flexibility dependent on the chosen software.
Conclusions:
- The temporal and spatial accuracy of the Tobii T60XL may compromise infant eye tracking data.
- Further validation of eye tracking hardware and software is needed for developmental studies.
- Careful consideration of software is crucial for maximizing experimental flexibility.
Abstract:
Infant eye tracking is becoming increasingly popular for its presumed precision relative to traditional looking time paradigms and potential to yield new insights into developmental processes. However, there is strong reason to suspect that the temporal and spatial resolution of popular eye tracking systems is not entirely accurate, potentially compromising any data from an infant eye tracking experiment. Moreover, "best practices" for infant eye tracking, such as knowing which software tool enhances experimental flexibility, remain to be determined. The present investigation was designed to evaluate the temporal and spatial accuracy of data from the Tobii T60XL eye tracker through the use of visual latency and spatial accuracy tasks involving adults and infants. Systematic delays and drifts were revealed in oculomotor response times, and the system's spatial accuracy was observed to deviate somewhat in excess of the manufacturer's estimates; the experimental flexibility of the system appears dependent on the chosen software.
