Pupil Size Changes as an Active Information Channel for Biofeedback Applications

Abstract

Pupil size is usually regarded as a passive information channel that provides insight into cognitive and affective states but defies any further control. However, in a recent study (Ehlers et al. 2015) we demonstrate that sympathetic activity indexed by pupil dynamics allows strategic interference by means of simple cognitive techniques. Utilizing positive/negative imaginings, subjects were able to expand pupil diameter beyond baseline variations; albeit with varying degrees of success and only over brief periods. The current study provides a comprehensive replication on the basis of considerable changes to the experimental set-up. Results show that stricter methodological conditions (controlled baseline settings and specified user instructions) strengthen the reported effect, whereas overall performance increases by one standard deviation. Effects are thereby not restricted to pupillary level. Parallel recordings of skin conductance changes prove a general enhancement of induced autonomic arousal. Considering the stability of the results across studies, we conclude that pupil size information exceeds affective monitoring and may constitute an active input channel in human–computer interaction. Furthermore, since variations in pupil diameter reliably display self-induced changes in sympathetic arousal, the relevance of this parameter is strongly indicated for future approaches in clinical biofeedback.