ORIGINAL RESEARCH

The impact of image orientation on distribution of visual fixations while solving simple cognitive problems

Nikishina VB1, Petrash EA1, Prirodova OF1, Akhramenko RS1, Danilova AV2, Kuznetsova AA2
About authors

1 Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia

2 Kursk State Medical University, Kursk, Russia

Correspondence should be addressed: Ekaterina A. Petrash
Ostrovityanova st., 1, Moscow, 117997, Russia; ur.liam@hsartep

About paper

Compliance with ethical standards: the study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University (minutes #211 of October 18, 2021) and conducted in conformity with the requirements of the Framework Legislation "On the Protection of Health of the Citizens." All participants signed the informed consent form agreeing to undergo examination

Received: 2022-02-07 Accepted: 2022-02-28 Published online: 2022-03-18
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Optimization of the educational process, including distance learning, requires orderly arrangement of the information presented, which translates into the need to factor in oculomotor reactions accompanying the search for solutions to simple cognitive tasks. This need supports the relevance of the present study, which aimed to investigate the age-dependent parameters of the oculomotor reactions occurring in solving a simple cognitive task. The sample included 97 persons, 47 males and 50 females, ages 21 to 36. For the purpose of rating the oculomotor reactions, the sample was divided into age groups: 21–26 years (n = 34); 27–32 years (n = 29); 33–36 years (n = 34). The methodology that governed the rating procedures was developed by the authors of the study and relied on the Tobii EyeX eye tracking hardware and software solution (GazeControl software). The study revealed a significant correlation between orientation of the image (presentation angle) and distribution of the visual fixations: regardless of the image presentation angle and its properties (schematic monochrome or full color image), the fixations tend to fall predominantly into the top and left parts of the image (the first quadrant). Other findings include a) a significant dependence of the capability to solve simple cognitive tasks and recognize the contents of the image on the spatial orientation of the presented stimuli, and b) the number of errors made in image contents recognition increasing with age, this dependence being significant and observed for both the schematic monochrome image (p1 = 0.014; p2 = 0.016; p3 = 0.014) and the full-color image (p1 = 0.015; p2 = 0.015; p3 = 0.017). The researchers have also identified the significant angles of rotation of the presented face images that stably caused recognition errors.

Keywords: gaze fixation, rating, oculomotor reactions, visual fixation

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