Optimal frequency bands for pupillography for maximal correlation with HRV.

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Cognitive Psychology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Assessing cognitive load via pupillography is hindered by inconsistent frequency band definitions.
• Lack of consensus on optimal frequency ranges limits the reliability of pupillography for cognitive load measurement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define optimal pupillography frequency bands for accurate cognitive load assessment.
• To establish a coherent framework for pupillography analysis in cognitive load studies.

Main Methods:

• Controlled experiments with programmers and mental arithmetic tasks involving 72 participants.
• Pupillography data analyzed for frequency features, correlated with Heart Rate Variability.
• Validation of findings across different tasks and participant groups.

Main Results:

• Identified optimal low-frequency (0.06-0.29 Hz) and high-frequency (0.29-0.49 Hz) bands for cognitive load.
• Achieved geometric mean correlations of 0.238 and 0.236 with HRV features across studies.
• Demonstrated superior performance compared to commonly used frequency bands in existing literature.

Conclusions:

• The study provides a validated framework for pupillography frequency band selection in cognitive load assessment.
• Highlights the potential of integrating eye-tracking and pupillography in authentic software development for granular cognitive load analysis.