Software possibilities of using the eye-tracking method in the study of visual perception

Abstract

Introduction. Eye movements objectively reflect perceptual, cognitive and emotional rational processes in visual perception. Research aimed at analysis human oculomotor activity, require the use of special equipment (infrared video oculograph, or eye tracker), as well as software to create, conduct and analyze experiments. Methods. Qualitative analysis of the results tat of eye-tracking studies allows you to visualize the order of attention (using eye movement maps), as well as the proportion of attention (using heat maps) to the elements stimulus. With the help of quantitative analysis, it is possible to statistically test hypotheses about the distribution of attention, as well as to assess the cognitive load both over the entire stimulus, and highlighting individual areas of interest (the so-called mechanism of areas of interest-Areas of Interest-allows you to calculate statistics in separate parts of the stimulus). quantitative parameters are used to classify errors and as a predictive metric knowledge of the target object. Quantitative fixation and saccade parameters apply to assess professional experience, as well as to diagnose mental disorders development and emotional disturbances. Results and its discussion. Software advanced qualitative and quantitative analysis allows comprehensively assess both the mental processes of a person and visual features the stimulus presented. An in-depth analysis of the metrics of oculomotor activity in per-primarily relevant for research in the field of cognitive psychology, but may be useful in other scientific and applied fields: Psychopathology, pedagogy, ergonomics, medicine, neuromarketing. Raw data processing mechanisms and algorithms are shown determination of types of eye movements, selection of saccades and fixations on the example of algorithmic ma IVT. Examples of research in applied fields are given. The novelty of the article lies in that eye tracking is seen as a tool for studying cognitive processes and analysis of the human gaze on a spatio-temporal basis. He is integration of qualitative and quantitative analysis using a specialized software.