Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 26, 2025

Pupillometry to Assess Auditory Sensation in Guinea Pigs
09:25

Pupillometry to Assess Auditory Sensation in Guinea Pigs

Published on: January 6, 2023

2.0K

Optimizing the usage of pupillary based indicators for cognitive workload.

Benedict C O F Fehringer1

  • 1University of Mannheim, Germany.

Journal of Eye Movement Research
|July 26, 2021
PubMed
Summary

The Index of Cognitive Activity (ICA) and Index of Pupillary Activity (IPA) effectively measure cognitive workload. Pupillary difference values show promise in differentiating task difficulty and mitigating fatigue effects compared to mean values.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The roles of cognitive abilities, instructions, and gaze patterns in navigational map-based route learning.

Journal of experimental psychology. Applied·2026
Same author

Different Perspectives on Retest Effects in the Context of Spatial Thinking: Interplay of Behavioral Performance, Cognitive Processing, and Cognitive Workload.

Journal of Intelligence·2023
Same author

Standardized norm data for three self-report scales on egocentric and allocentric environmental spatial strategies.

Data in brief·2016
See all related articles

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Psychophysiology
  • Human Factors Engineering

Background:

  • Pupillary responses are sensitive indicators of cognitive processes.
  • Existing metrics like the Index of Cognitive Activity (ICA) and Index of Pupillary Activity (IPA) offer insights into cognitive workload.
  • Understanding influences of cognitive demand, fatigue, and individual differences is crucial for accurate workload assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of cognitive demand, fatigue, and inter-individual differences on ICA and IPA.
  • To compare the efficacy of pupillary difference values versus mean values in reflecting cognitive workload.
  • To provide recommendations for utilizing ICA/IPA in training and testing scenarios.

Main Methods:

  • Fifty-five participants completed a spatial thinking test (R-Cube-Vis Test) at varying difficulty levels and a fixation task.
Keywords:
Eye trackingIndex of Cognitive Activity (ICA)Index of Pupillary Activity (IPA)R-Cube-Vis Testcognitive workloadpupillometry

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Exploring the Link Between Time Perception of Visual Stimuli and Reading Skills
09:27

Author Spotlight: Exploring the Link Between Time Perception of Visual Stimuli and Reading Skills

Published on: January 19, 2024

1.5K
Eye Tracking During A Complex Aviation Task For Insights Into Information Processing
07:48

Eye Tracking During A Complex Aviation Task For Insights Into Information Processing

Published on: April 4, 2025

736

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 26, 2025

Pupillometry to Assess Auditory Sensation in Guinea Pigs
09:25

Pupillometry to Assess Auditory Sensation in Guinea Pigs

Published on: January 6, 2023

2.0K
Author Spotlight: Exploring the Link Between Time Perception of Visual Stimuli and Reading Skills
09:27

Author Spotlight: Exploring the Link Between Time Perception of Visual Stimuli and Reading Skills

Published on: January 19, 2024

1.5K
Eye Tracking During A Complex Aviation Task For Insights Into Information Processing
07:48

Eye Tracking During A Complex Aviation Task For Insights Into Information Processing

Published on: April 4, 2025

736
  • Cognitive workload was assessed using the Index of Cognitive Activity (ICA) and Index of Pupillary Activity (IPA).
  • Pupillary responses were analyzed using both mean values (averaged across eyes) and difference values (inter-eye variability).

    • Main Results:

    • ICA and IPA distributions were comparable, with lower values during fixation tasks than the R-Cube-Vis Test.
    • Fatigue effects were observed in mean ICA values, but not consistently across all measures.
    • Pupillary difference values demonstrated a better ability to differentiate between cognitive task difficulties and appeared to control for fatigue more effectively than mean values.

    Conclusions:

    • Both ICA and IPA are reliable pupillary-based indicators of cognitive workload, independent of light.
    • Pupillary difference values offer advantages over mean values in assessing cognitive workload, particularly in differentiating task difficulty and accounting for fatigue.
    • Recommendations for ICA/IPA application can enhance understanding of individual performance in training and testing contexts.