Suche
Mein Konto
The hidden costs of our eye movements: A look behind the scenes!
Eye movements, researched by experts at the University of Marburg, reveal unexpected costs when reading and perceiving. New insights.
The hidden costs of our eye movements: A look behind the scenes!
Eye movements are a fascinating and crucial area of research, particularly in the context of human perception and cognitive processing. However, these movements, which are often viewed as minimal energy expenditures in the area of information processing, are far more complex than they initially appear. Psychologists such as Prof. Dr. report on the functions of eye movements, especially saccades. Alexander Schütz from the Philipps University of Marburg and Dr. Emma Stewart from Queen Mary University of London in her latest review article.
In their analysis, published in the journal Nature Reviews Psychology, argues that even the smallest eye movements, often described as “free,” carry hidden “costs” in the form of delays and loss of visual information. The brain is constantly unconsciously weighing the advantages and disadvantages of every eye movement, which plays a central role in decision-making.
Opening up for new research approaches
The study of eye movements encompasses a wide range of disciplines. Oculomotor skills, the entirety of all motor expressions of eye movements, include both voluntary and involuntary movements that can be undertaken actively or passively triggered by external influences. Loud de-academic.com Oculomotor function occurs via a complex interplay of control circuits in which the retina takes over the sensor function, the central nervous system acts as a regulator and the two groups of six external eye muscles act as actuators.
The different types of eye movements include ductions, the rotational movements of a single eye, and saccades, the rapid, voluntary movements. These saccades can reach speeds of up to 600° per second and are a central topic in oculomotor research. The restrictions on eye movements can depend on various factors, including physical conditions such as the direction of pull of the muscles and the individual anatomy of the eye.
The interaction of eye movements and cognition
The role of eye movements in eye movement research is particularly revealing. This examines the connections between eye movements and cognitive processes in the brain. A central aspect here is the so-called eye-mind hypothesis, which suggests that vision and cognitive processing influence each other. An important finding of this research is that saccades and fixations during reading fulfill different functions and contribute significantly to the absorption of information.
The variability of eye movements is also notable. Loud Wikipedia Individual differences in eye movements are pronounced and can be influenced by biological factors, habits and external conditions. This variability is also relevant for applications in consumer research, software ergonomics and psychology.
The introduction of new models to explain eye movements during reading, such as the cognitive process model and the oculomotor model, also offers new perspectives on the dynamics of eye movements and their importance for learning and understanding. Future research aims to better understand how the brain combines benefits and costs when making gaze decisions and how these processes operate when processing information in everyday life.