Age-differentiated analysis of the hand proximity effect by means of eye-tracking

Abstract

Research focusing on the position of the hands with regard to visual stimuli has recently received a great deal of attention. One of the main findings is that stimuli that are close to the hands are perceived and processed more precisely than those that are more distant. In this study, the effect of hand proximity was studied using a visual search task and analyzed regarding fixation durations. The hands were placed in varying positions: directly at the screen, on the table and on the lap. As performance in information processing is highly dependent on the subject’s age, effects were analyzed in an age-differentiated manner. Results showed a significant effect regarding hand positions moderated by age: Fixation durations were shorter for positions of the hands at the screen and longer for positions away from the screen in the younger age group. In the older age group the effect was vice versa, fixation durations were longer for the position of the hand at the screen and shorter for positions away from the screen.