Recognition of Empathy from Synchronization between Brain Activity and Eye Movement

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Psychology

Background:

• The rise of user-generated content (UGC) and metaverse interactions highlights the need to understand empathic responses to digital media.
• Quantifying human empathy in response to digital content is crucial for designing more engaging and emotionally resonant virtual experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify human empathy levels when exposed to digital media.
• To investigate the relationship between brain activity, eye movements, and subjective empathy evaluations.

Main Methods:

• Collected brain wave activity and eye movement data from 47 participants viewing emotional videos.
• Analyzed the synchronization between electroencephalography (EEG) signals and eye-tracking metrics (saccades, fixation, pupil changes).
• Correlated physiological data with participants' subjective empathy evaluations post-viewing.

Main Results:

• Participants showed higher empathy towards videos with pleasant-arousal and unpleasant-relaxed emotions.
• Eye movements (saccades, fixation) synchronized with activity in the prefrontal and temporal lobes.
• Brain activity and pupil changes demonstrated synchronization between the right pupil and prefrontal, parietal, and temporal lobes during empathic responses.

Conclusions:

• Eye movement characteristics can serve as objective indicators of cognitive empathy during digital content engagement.
• Pupil size changes reflect a combination of emotional and cognitive empathy elicited by digital media.
• Findings provide insights into the neurophysiological underpinnings of empathy in the context of virtual interactions and digital content.