The effects of object size on spatial orientation: an eye movement study

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Visual information is processed via dorsal (motion) and ventral (identification) streams.
• Object size influences motion processing, but its effect on spatial orientation is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how object size affects spatial orientation.
• To explore the relationship between visual cues and spatial navigation accuracy.

Main Methods:

• An experiment using a spatial visualization dynamic test with 38 college students.
• Eye movement data collected using Eyelink 1,000 Plus.
• Analysis of final direction difference, rotation angle, and pupil size under varying object and destination sizes.

Main Results:

• Smaller direction differences and rotation angles were observed with a larger moving target (2.29°) and smaller destination (0.76°).
• Increased average pupil size occurred with a larger moving target (2.29°) and smaller destination (0.76°).

Conclusions:

• Larger moving targets enhance spatial orientation by mitigating landmark attraction.
• Object size may influence spatial orientation through differential cognitive resource demands.
• Findings contribute to understanding object/motion characteristic interactions and eye-tracking applications in spatial ability assessment.