Where did I come from? Where am I going? Functional differences in visual search fixation duration.

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Computational Vision

Background:

• Accurate simulation of visual search behavior requires understanding fixation duration control.
• Previous studies often combined pre- and post-saccadic influences on fixation duration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To differentiate the effects of pre- and post-saccadic influences on fixation durations.
• To quantify the relative contributions of these influences using a novel experimental paradigm.

Main Methods:

• Employed a gaze-contingent moving obstructer paradigm.
• Compared fixation durations based on saccade direction.
• Analyzed pre- and post-saccadic influences separately.

Main Results:

• Pre- and post-saccadic fixation durations showed distinct patterns related to saccade direction.
• Peripheral obstruction had a greater effect on post-saccadic fixation durations.
• Post-saccadic influences appear to contribute more to total fixation duration.

Conclusions:

• It is crucial to consider both pre- and post-saccadic influences for accurate modeling of visual search fixation control.
• Future models of visual search must disentangle these distinct influences for improved simulation accuracy.