Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 12, 2026
Eye Movement Monitoring of Memory
Published on: August 15, 2010
Gaze and retinal-image-stability in two kinds of sequential looking tasks
1Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park 20742-4411, USA. yulya@ockham.stanford.edu
Unlabelled:
Eye and head movements used to keep the gaze on target were examined as unrestrained seated subjects performed two tasks: (1) tapping sequences of 3-D targets; and (2) only looking at sequences of 3-D targets. Large differences were observed in the head/eye coordination patterns used in each task. During tapping, the head moved quickly and continuously. Retinal-image speeds were relatively high (up to 5 degrees/s). During looking-only, the head moved more slowly and almost came to rest between gaze-shifts. Retinal image velocities between gaze-shifts were 60-77% lower during looking-only than during tapping.
Conclusion:
coordinated eye/head patterns are adjusted to satisfy the demands of a particular task. These adjustments affect low-level oculomotor mechanisms between as well as during the gaze shifts, themselves (reported previously).
