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Cognitive load influences oculomotor behavior in natural scenes
1Psychology Department, Northeastern University, Boston, 02115, USA. walter.ker@northeastern.edu.
Scientific Reports
|June 12, 2021
Summary
Cognitive load impacts eye movements, with higher loads leading to fewer, longer fixations. This adaptive visual search task effectively tracks cognitive demand and its effect on oculomotor behavior in adults.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Ophthalmology
- Human Factors Engineering
Background:
- Cognitive load influences eye movement patterns.
- Oculomotor behavior may serve as biomarkers for neurological conditions.
- Understanding cognitive load effects on vision is crucial for diagnostics and human-computer interaction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between cognitive load and oculomotor behavior using an adaptive visual search paradigm.
- To determine if eye movement patterns change predictably with increasing cognitive demand.
- To validate an adaptive task for quantifying individual cognitive load.
Main Methods:
- Developed an adaptive visual search task using an N-back paradigm to manipulate cognitive load.
- Recorded eye movements (fixations, saccades, pupil diameter) in 30 healthy young adults viewing natural scenes.
- Measured response latencies and accuracy to confirm task engagement and individual adaptation.
Main Results:
- Response latencies and pupil diameter increased with cognitive load (N-back).
- Higher cognitive load correlated with fewer fixations and saccades.
- Fixation duration increased while saccade duration decreased as cognitive load rose.
Conclusions:
- The adaptive visual search paradigm effectively modulates and quantifies cognitive load.
- Cognitive load significantly alters oculomotor strategies, characterized by fewer, longer fixations.
- Oculomotor behavior changes in response to cognitive demand offer potential for tracking cognitive states.
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