Publications
2024
Sauter, Marian
Speed and Reliability of Touch vs Mouse Inputs in Visual Foraging Journal Article
In: Open Psychology, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 20240001, 2024.
@article{sauter2024speed,
title = {Speed and Reliability of Touch vs Mouse Inputs in Visual Foraging},
author = {Marian Sauter},
doi = {10.1515/psych-2024-0001},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-01-01},
urldate = {2024-01-01},
journal = {Open Psychology},
volume = {6},
number = {1},
pages = {20240001},
publisher = {De Gruyter},
abstract = {Traditional visual attention research predominantly employs a visual search paradigm focused on identifying a single target within a scene. This approach, however, may not fully encapsulate the complexities of natural environmental interactions, which often involve multiple decisions and actions. Addressing this gap, recent advancements have introduced touch-screen-based foraging tasks, where participants are required to identify and cancel multiple targets through tactile interaction. Despite its intuitive appeal, the widespread adoption of this methodology has been limited. This article explores the computer mouse as a viable alternative for target cancellation in such foraging tasks. We conducted an experiment comparing search performance between touch and mouse inputs in a visual foraging task, requiring participants to locate and interact with a known target multiple times under various search types. Our findings indicate that while mouse responses are marginally slower, the variance in response times is consistent across both input modalities. Contrary to expectations, we observed no significant disadvantages when employing the mouse as opposed to touch screens. The results suggest that the computer mouse is a competent and underutilized tool in visual attention research, offering a comparable and effective alternative to touch-based devices for complex search tasks.
},
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Traditional visual attention research predominantly employs a visual search paradigm focused on identifying a single target within a scene. This approach, however, may not fully encapsulate the complexities of natural environmental interactions, which often involve multiple decisions and actions. Addressing this gap, recent advancements have introduced touch-screen-based foraging tasks, where participants are required to identify and cancel multiple targets through tactile interaction. Despite its intuitive appeal, the widespread adoption of this methodology has been limited. This article explores the computer mouse as a viable alternative for target cancellation in such foraging tasks. We conducted an experiment comparing search performance between touch and mouse inputs in a visual foraging task, requiring participants to locate and interact with a known target multiple times under various search types. Our findings indicate that while mouse responses are marginally slower, the variance in response times is consistent across both input modalities. Contrary to expectations, we observed no significant disadvantages when employing the mouse as opposed to touch screens. The results suggest that the computer mouse is a competent and underutilized tool in visual attention research, offering a comparable and effective alternative to touch-based devices for complex search tasks.
Foucher, Valentin; Krug, Alina; Sauter, Marian
Independent Comparative Evaluation of the Pupil Neon-A New Mobile Eye-tracker 2 Journal Article
In: 2024.
@article{foucher2024independent,
title = {Independent Comparative Evaluation of the Pupil Neon-A New Mobile Eye-tracker 2},
author = {Valentin Foucher and Alina Krug and Marian Sauter},
doi = {10.17605/OSF.IO/3KC5T},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-01-01},
urldate = {2024-01-01},
publisher = {OSF},
abstract = {to the rapid adoption of (mobile) eye-tracking devices in both academic and consumer11research, it becomes more important that the increasing number of datasets is based on12reliable recordings. This study provides an independent evaluation of the Pupil Neon (Pupil13Labs GmbH), one of the newest and most affordable mobile eye-trackers, by comparing its14performance on a variety of tasks to the EyeLink 1000 Plus (SR Research Ltd.). Using15Ehinger et al. (2019)’s test battery, a set of 10 tasks evaluated the accuracy and its decay16over time of some of the most common eye-tracking-related parameters: fixations, saccades,17smooth pursuit, pupil dilation, microsaccades, blinks, and the influence of head motion on18accuracy. Gaze position, eye movements and pupil diameter associated with each task were19recorded simultaneously by the two eye-trackers and compared concurrently. The results20provide some ideas on what singularities should be expected by the newer Pupil Neon for21the recording of specific eye movements or the performance in various kinds of tasks},
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to the rapid adoption of (mobile) eye-tracking devices in both academic and consumer11research, it becomes more important that the increasing number of datasets is based on12reliable recordings. This study provides an independent evaluation of the Pupil Neon (Pupil13Labs GmbH), one of the newest and most affordable mobile eye-trackers, by comparing its14performance on a variety of tasks to the EyeLink 1000 Plus (SR Research Ltd.). Using15Ehinger et al. (2019)’s test battery, a set of 10 tasks evaluated the accuracy and its decay16over time of some of the most common eye-tracking-related parameters: fixations, saccades,17smooth pursuit, pupil dilation, microsaccades, blinks, and the influence of head motion on18accuracy. Gaze position, eye movements and pupil diameter associated with each task were19recorded simultaneously by the two eye-trackers and compared concurrently. The results20provide some ideas on what singularities should be expected by the newer Pupil Neon for21the recording of specific eye movements or the performance in various kinds of tasks
Saalwirth, Christina; Stefani, Maximilian; Sauter, Marian; Mack, Wolfgang
Eye-tracking analysis of attentional disengagement in phobic and non-phobic individuals Journal Article
In: Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, pp. 1–16, 2024.
@article{saalwirth2024eye,
title = {Eye-tracking analysis of attentional disengagement in phobic and non-phobic individuals},
author = {Christina Saalwirth and Maximilian Stefani and Marian Sauter and Wolfgang Mack},
doi = {10.3758/s13414-024-02968-6},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-01-01},
urldate = {2024-01-01},
journal = {Attention, Perception, \& Psychophysics},
pages = {1\textendash16},
publisher = {Springer US},
abstract = {This study investigated threat-related attention biases using a new visual search paradigm with eye tracking, which allows for measuring attentional disengagement in isolation. This is crucial as previous studies have been unable to distinguish between engagement, disengagement, and behavioral freezing. Thirty-three participants (Mage = 28.75 years, SD = 8.98; 21 women) with self-reported specific phobia (spiders, snakes, and pointed objects) and their matched controls (Mage = 28.38 years, SD = 8.66; 21 women) took part in the experiment. The participants were instructed to initially focus on a picture in the center of the screen, then search for a target picture in an outer circle consisting of six images, and respond via a button press whether the object in the target picture was oriented to the left or right. We found that phobic individuals show delayed disengagement and slower decision times compared with non-phobic individuals, regardless of whether the stimulus was threat-related or neutral. These results indicate that phobic individuals tend to exhibit poorer attentional control mechanisms and problems inhibiting irrelevant information. We also confirmed a threat-unrelated shared feature effect with complex stimuli (delayed disengagement when an attended stimulus and an unattended target share common stimulus features). This process might play a role in various experimental setups investigating attentional disengagement that has not yet been considered. These findings are important, as good attentional control may serve as a protective mechanism against anxiety disorders.
},
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This study investigated threat-related attention biases using a new visual search paradigm with eye tracking, which allows for measuring attentional disengagement in isolation. This is crucial as previous studies have been unable to distinguish between engagement, disengagement, and behavioral freezing. Thirty-three participants (Mage = 28.75 years, SD = 8.98; 21 women) with self-reported specific phobia (spiders, snakes, and pointed objects) and their matched controls (Mage = 28.38 years, SD = 8.66; 21 women) took part in the experiment. The participants were instructed to initially focus on a picture in the center of the screen, then search for a target picture in an outer circle consisting of six images, and respond via a button press whether the object in the target picture was oriented to the left or right. We found that phobic individuals show delayed disengagement and slower decision times compared with non-phobic individuals, regardless of whether the stimulus was threat-related or neutral. These results indicate that phobic individuals tend to exhibit poorer attentional control mechanisms and problems inhibiting irrelevant information. We also confirmed a threat-unrelated shared feature effect with complex stimuli (delayed disengagement when an attended stimulus and an unattended target share common stimulus features). This process might play a role in various experimental setups investigating attentional disengagement that has not yet been considered. These findings are important, as good attentional control may serve as a protective mechanism against anxiety disorders.
2023
Stefani, Maximilian; Sauter, Marian
Relative contributions of oculomotor capture and disengagement to distractor-related dwell times in visual search Journal Article
In: Sci Rep, vol. 13, no. 1, 2023, ISSN: 2045-2322.
@article{Stefani2023,
title = {Relative contributions of oculomotor capture and disengagement to distractor-related dwell times in visual search},
author = {Maximilian Stefani and Marian Sauter},
doi = {10.1038/s41598-023-43604-x},
issn = {2045-2322},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-12-00},
urldate = {2023-12-00},
journal = {Sci Rep},
volume = {13},
number = {1},
publisher = {Springer Science and Business Media LLC},
abstract = {\<jats:title\>Abstract\</jats:title\>\<jats:p\>In visual search, attention is reliably captured by salient distractors and must be actively disengaged from them to reach the target. In such attentional capture paradigms, dwell time is measured on distractors that appear in the periphery (e.g., on a random location on a circle). Distractor-related dwell time is typically thought to be largely due to stimulus-driven processes related to oculomotor capture dynamics. However, the extent to which oculomotor capture and oculomotor disengagement contribute to distractor dwell time has not been known because standard attentional capture paradigms cannot decouple these processes. In the present study, we used a novel paradigm combining classical attentional capture trials and delayed disengagement trials. We measured eye movements to dissociate the capture and disengagement mechanisms underlying distractor dwell time. We found that only two-thirds of distractor dwell time (~ 52 ms) can be explained by oculomotor capture, while one-third is explained by oculomotor disengagement (~ 18 ms), which has been neglected or underestimated in previous studies. Thus, oculomotor disengagement (goal-directed) processes play a more significant role in distractor dwell times than previously thought.\</jats:p\>},
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pubstate = {published},
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<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>In visual search, attention is reliably captured by salient distractors and must be actively disengaged from them to reach the target. In such attentional capture paradigms, dwell time is measured on distractors that appear in the periphery (e.g., on a random location on a circle). Distractor-related dwell time is typically thought to be largely due to stimulus-driven processes related to oculomotor capture dynamics. However, the extent to which oculomotor capture and oculomotor disengagement contribute to distractor dwell time has not been known because standard attentional capture paradigms cannot decouple these processes. In the present study, we used a novel paradigm combining classical attentional capture trials and delayed disengagement trials. We measured eye movements to dissociate the capture and disengagement mechanisms underlying distractor dwell time. We found that only two-thirds of distractor dwell time (~ 52 ms) can be explained by oculomotor capture, while one-third is explained by oculomotor disengagement (~ 18 ms), which has been neglected or underestimated in previous studies. Thus, oculomotor disengagement (goal-directed) processes play a more significant role in distractor dwell times than previously thought.</jats:p>
Lau, Wee Kiat; Sauter, Marian; Bulut, Cihan; Eberhardt, Lisa Valentina; Huckauf, Anke
Revisiting the Watching eyes effect: how emotional expressions, sex, and age of watching eyes influence stereotypical statement endorsement Journal Article
In: Open Psychology, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 20220135, 2023.
@article{lau2023revisiting,
title = {Revisiting the Watching eyes effect: how emotional expressions, sex, and age of watching eyes influence stereotypical statement endorsement},
author = {Wee Kiat Lau and Marian Sauter and Cihan Bulut and Lisa Valentina Eberhardt and Anke Huckauf},
doi = {10.1515/psych-2022-0135},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-01-01},
urldate = {2023-01-01},
journal = {Open Psychology},
volume = {5},
number = {1},
pages = {20220135},
publisher = {De Gruyter},
abstract = {The watching eyes effect has been shown to influence prosocial and antisocial behaviors. However, the eye characteristics which induce this effect remain unclear. This study explored how emotional expressions (anger, fear, happy, neutral), age (old, young), and sex (male, female) of eye images affect antisocial behavior, measured by stereotype endorsement. Participants rated their endorsement of 36 stereotype statements about race, gender, and religion topics, each paired with an eye image. Our findings indicated that stereotype endorsement did not differ significantly between neutral eye images and control flower images. We then used neutral eyes as control images to evaluate stereotype endorsement when being watched by eyes with other expressions. When comparing endorsement across age and sex in each expression, the data revealed higher endorsement for angry old male eyes and for happy young eyes (males and females), and lower endorsement for fearful eyes, except for old fearful female eyes. Therefore, varying the emotional expression, sex, and age of the eye images used in the watching eyes effect paradigm influences stereotype endorsement. To further unravel the underlying mechanisms behind the watching eyes effect, we encourage future research to explore how varying characteristics of the eyes affect responses/behaviors like stereotype endorsement.
},
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pubstate = {published},
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The watching eyes effect has been shown to influence prosocial and antisocial behaviors. However, the eye characteristics which induce this effect remain unclear. This study explored how emotional expressions (anger, fear, happy, neutral), age (old, young), and sex (male, female) of eye images affect antisocial behavior, measured by stereotype endorsement. Participants rated their endorsement of 36 stereotype statements about race, gender, and religion topics, each paired with an eye image. Our findings indicated that stereotype endorsement did not differ significantly between neutral eye images and control flower images. We then used neutral eyes as control images to evaluate stereotype endorsement when being watched by eyes with other expressions. When comparing endorsement across age and sex in each expression, the data revealed higher endorsement for angry old male eyes and for happy young eyes (males and females), and lower endorsement for fearful eyes, except for old fearful female eyes. Therefore, varying the emotional expression, sex, and age of the eye images used in the watching eyes effect paradigm influences stereotype endorsement. To further unravel the underlying mechanisms behind the watching eyes effect, we encourage future research to explore how varying characteristics of the eyes affect responses/behaviors like stereotype endorsement.
Sauter, Marian; Wagner, Tobias; Hirzle, Teresa; Lin, Bao Xin; Rukzio, Enrico; Huckauf, Anke
Behind the screens: Exploring eye movement visualization to optimize online teaching and learning Best Paper Proceedings Article
In: Proceedings of Mensch und Computer 2023, pp. 67–80, 2023.
@inproceedings{sauter2023behind,
title = {Behind the screens: Exploring eye movement visualization to optimize online teaching and learning},
author = {Marian Sauter and Tobias Wagner and Teresa Hirzle and Bao Xin Lin and Enrico Rukzio and Anke Huckauf},
doi = {10.1145/3603555.3603560},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-01-01},
urldate = {2023-01-01},
booktitle = {Proceedings of Mensch und Computer 2023},
pages = {67\textendash80},
abstract = {The effective delivery of e-learning depends on the continuous monitoring and management of student attention. While instructors in traditional classroom settings can easily assess crowd attention through gaze cues, these cues are largely unavailable in online learning environments. To address this challenge and highlight the significance of our study, we collected eye movement data from twenty students and developed four visualization methods: (a) a heat map, (b) an ellipse map, (c) two moving bars, and (d) a vertical bar, which were overlaid on 13 instructional videos. Our results revealed unexpected preferences among the instructors. Contrary to expectations, they did not prefer the established heat map and vertical bar for live online instruction. Instead, they chose the less intrusive ellipse visualization. Nevertheless, the heat map remained the preferred choice for retrospective analysis due to its more detailed information. Importantly, all visualizations were found to be useful and to help restore emotional connections in online learning. In conclusion, our innovative visualizations of crowd attention show considerable potential for a wide range of applications, extending beyond e-learning to all online presentations and retrospective analyses. The significant results of our study underscore the critical role these visualizations will play in enhancing both the effectiveness and emotional connectedness of future e-learning experiences, thereby facilitating the educational landscape.
},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
The effective delivery of e-learning depends on the continuous monitoring and management of student attention. While instructors in traditional classroom settings can easily assess crowd attention through gaze cues, these cues are largely unavailable in online learning environments. To address this challenge and highlight the significance of our study, we collected eye movement data from twenty students and developed four visualization methods: (a) a heat map, (b) an ellipse map, (c) two moving bars, and (d) a vertical bar, which were overlaid on 13 instructional videos. Our results revealed unexpected preferences among the instructors. Contrary to expectations, they did not prefer the established heat map and vertical bar for live online instruction. Instead, they chose the less intrusive ellipse visualization. Nevertheless, the heat map remained the preferred choice for retrospective analysis due to its more detailed information. Importantly, all visualizations were found to be useful and to help restore emotional connections in online learning. In conclusion, our innovative visualizations of crowd attention show considerable potential for a wide range of applications, extending beyond e-learning to all online presentations and retrospective analyses. The significant results of our study underscore the critical role these visualizations will play in enhancing both the effectiveness and emotional connectedness of future e-learning experiences, thereby facilitating the educational landscape.
Lau, Wee Kiat; Eberhardt, Lisa Valentina; Sauter, Marian; Huckauf, Anke
Psychological privacy: How perceptual publicity can support perceived publicity Journal Article
In: Interactions, vol. 30, no. 6, pp. 8–9, 2023.
@article{lau2023psychological,
title = {Psychological privacy: How perceptual publicity can support perceived publicity},
author = {Wee Kiat Lau and Lisa Valentina Eberhardt and Marian Sauter and Anke Huckauf},
doi = {10.1145/3629041},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-01-01},
urldate = {2023-01-01},
journal = {Interactions},
volume = {30},
number = {6},
pages = {8\textendash9},
publisher = {ACM New York, NY, USA},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
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2022
Lau, Wee Kiat; Sauter, Marian; Huckauf, Anke
Small Pupils Lead to Lower Judgements of a Person’s Characteristics for Exaggerated, but Not for Realistic Pupils Journal Article
In: Behavioral Sciences, vol. 12, no. 8, 2022, ISSN: 2076-328X.
@article{Lau2022d,
title = {Small Pupils Lead to Lower Judgements of a Person’s Characteristics for Exaggerated, but Not for Realistic Pupils},
author = {Wee Kiat Lau and Marian Sauter and Anke Huckauf},
doi = {10.3390/bs12080283},
issn = {2076-328X},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-08-00},
urldate = {2022-08-00},
journal = {Behavioral Sciences},
volume = {12},
number = {8},
publisher = {MDPI AG},
abstract = {Our eyes convey information about a person. The pupils may provide information regarding our emotional states when presented along with different emotional expressions. We examined the effects of pupil size and vergence on inferring other people’s characteristics in neutral expression eyes. Pupil sizes were manipulated by overlaying black disks onto the pupils of the original eye images. The disk area was then changed to create small, medium, and large pupils. Vergence was simulated by shifting the medium-sized disks nasally in one eye. Pupil sizes were exaggerated for Experiment 1 and followed values from the literature for Experiment 2. The first Purkinje image from the eye photos in Experiment 2 was kept to preserve image realism. The characteristics measured were sex, age, attractiveness, trustworthiness, intelligence, valence, and arousal. Participants completed one of two online experiments and rated eight eye pictures with differently sized pupils and with vergence eyes. Both experiments were identical except for the stimuli designs. Results from Experiment 1 revealed rating differences between pupil sizes for all characteristics except sex, age, and arousal. Specifically, eyes with extremely small pupil sizes and artificial vergence received the lowest ratings compared to medium and large pupil sizes. Results from Experiment 2 only indicated weak effects of pupil size and vergence, particularly for intelligence ratings. We conclude that the pupils can influence how characteristics of another person are perceived and may be regarded as important social signals in subconscious social interaction processes. However, the effects may be rather small for neutral expressions.
},
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Our eyes convey information about a person. The pupils may provide information regarding our emotional states when presented along with different emotional expressions. We examined the effects of pupil size and vergence on inferring other people’s characteristics in neutral expression eyes. Pupil sizes were manipulated by overlaying black disks onto the pupils of the original eye images. The disk area was then changed to create small, medium, and large pupils. Vergence was simulated by shifting the medium-sized disks nasally in one eye. Pupil sizes were exaggerated for Experiment 1 and followed values from the literature for Experiment 2. The first Purkinje image from the eye photos in Experiment 2 was kept to preserve image realism. The characteristics measured were sex, age, attractiveness, trustworthiness, intelligence, valence, and arousal. Participants completed one of two online experiments and rated eight eye pictures with differently sized pupils and with vergence eyes. Both experiments were identical except for the stimuli designs. Results from Experiment 1 revealed rating differences between pupil sizes for all characteristics except sex, age, and arousal. Specifically, eyes with extremely small pupil sizes and artificial vergence received the lowest ratings compared to medium and large pupil sizes. Results from Experiment 2 only indicated weak effects of pupil size and vergence, particularly for intelligence ratings. We conclude that the pupils can influence how characteristics of another person are perceived and may be regarded as important social signals in subconscious social interaction processes. However, the effects may be rather small for neutral expressions.
Sauter, Marian; Stefani, Maximilian; Mack, Wolfgang
Equal quality for online and lab data: A direct comparison from two dual-task paradigms Journal Article
In: Open Psychology, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 47–59, 2022.
@article{sauter2022equal,
title = {Equal quality for online and lab data: A direct comparison from two dual-task paradigms},
author = {Marian Sauter and Maximilian Stefani and Wolfgang Mack},
doi = {10.1515/psych-2022-0003},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-01-01},
urldate = {2022-01-01},
journal = {Open Psychology},
volume = {4},
number = {1},
pages = {47\textendash59},
publisher = {De Gruyter},
abstract = { Conducting behavioral experiments online has become more prevalent recently. Still, there is reluctance to embrace the possibilities this technology has to offer. So far, only simple tasks have been replicated in an online setting. In order to investigate whether collecting online also leads to high quality data in demanding tasks, we directly compared data collected in the lab with data collected online from a demanding dual-task paradigm and a psychological refractory period paradigm. In Experiment 1, we recruited from local pools, online and offline; in Experiment 2, we collected lab data from our local pool and online data from a remote commercial participant platform. We found that all relevant effects were replicated in the lab and online settings; effect sizes were similar. Additionally, most response time distributions were even statistically equivalent when comparing online and lab data. Thus, online effect sizes and variances can be comparable to lab-based data. Online studies are time-efficient and recruiting an online sample instead or on top of a laboratory sample should be considered for basic behavioral research. This can serve an important role in the generalizability and replicability of findings in the cognitive and behavioral sciences},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
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Conducting behavioral experiments online has become more prevalent recently. Still, there is reluctance to embrace the possibilities this technology has to offer. So far, only simple tasks have been replicated in an online setting. In order to investigate whether collecting online also leads to high quality data in demanding tasks, we directly compared data collected in the lab with data collected online from a demanding dual-task paradigm and a psychological refractory period paradigm. In Experiment 1, we recruited from local pools, online and offline; in Experiment 2, we collected lab data from our local pool and online data from a remote commercial participant platform. We found that all relevant effects were replicated in the lab and online settings; effect sizes were similar. Additionally, most response time distributions were even statistically equivalent when comparing online and lab data. Thus, online effect sizes and variances can be comparable to lab-based data. Online studies are time-efficient and recruiting an online sample instead or on top of a laboratory sample should be considered for basic behavioral research. This can serve an important role in the generalizability and replicability of findings in the cognitive and behavioral sciences
Sauter, Marian; Wagner, Tobias; Huckauf, Anke
Distance between gaze and laser pointer predicts performance in video-based e-learning independent of the presence of an on-screen instructor Proceedings Article
In: 2022 Symposium on Eye Tracking Research and Applications, pp. 1–10, 2022.
@inproceedings{sauter2022distance,
title = {Distance between gaze and laser pointer predicts performance in video-based e-learning independent of the presence of an on-screen instructor},
author = {Marian Sauter and Tobias Wagner and Anke Huckauf},
doi = {10.1145/3517031.3529620},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-01-01},
urldate = {2022-01-01},
booktitle = {2022 Symposium on Eye Tracking Research and Applications},
pages = {1\textendash10},
abstract = {In online lectures, showing an on-screen instructor gained popularity amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. However, evidence in favor of this is mixed: they draw attention and may distract from the content. In contrast, using signaling (e.g., with a digital pointer) provides known benefits for learners. But effects of signaling were only researched in absence of an on-screen instructor. In the present explorative study, we investigated effects of an on-screen instructor on the division of learners´ attention; specifically, on following a digital pointer signal with their gaze. The presence of an instructor led to an increased number of fixations in the presenter area. This did neither affect learning outcomes nor gaze patterns following the pointer. The average distance between the learner's gaze and the pointer position predicts the student's quiz performance, independent of the presence of an on-screen instructor. This can also help in creating automated immediate-feedback systems for educational videos.
},
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pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
In online lectures, showing an on-screen instructor gained popularity amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. However, evidence in favor of this is mixed: they draw attention and may distract from the content. In contrast, using signaling (e.g., with a digital pointer) provides known benefits for learners. But effects of signaling were only researched in absence of an on-screen instructor. In the present explorative study, we investigated effects of an on-screen instructor on the division of learners´ attention; specifically, on following a digital pointer signal with their gaze. The presence of an instructor led to an increased number of fixations in the presenter area. This did neither affect learning outcomes nor gaze patterns following the pointer. The average distance between the learner’s gaze and the pointer position predicts the student’s quiz performance, independent of the presence of an on-screen instructor. This can also help in creating automated immediate-feedback systems for educational videos.
Sauter, Marian; Hirzle, Teresa; Wagner, Tobias; Hummel, Susanne; Rukzio, Enrico; Huckauf, Anke
Can Eye Movement Synchronicity Predict Test Performance With Unreliably-Sampled Data in an Online Learning Context? Proceedings Article
In: 2022 Symposium on Eye Tracking Research and Applications, pp. 1–5, 2022.
@inproceedings{sauter2022can,
title = {Can Eye Movement Synchronicity Predict Test Performance With Unreliably-Sampled Data in an Online Learning Context?},
author = {Marian Sauter and Teresa Hirzle and Tobias Wagner and Susanne Hummel and Enrico Rukzio and Anke Huckauf},
doi = {10.1145/3517031.3529239},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-01-01},
urldate = {2022-01-01},
booktitle = {2022 Symposium on Eye Tracking Research and Applications},
pages = {1\textendash5},
abstract = {Webcam-based eye-tracking promises easy and quick data collection without the need for specific or additional eye-tracking hardware. This makes it especially attractive for educational research, in particular for modern formats, such as MOOCs. However, in order to fulfill its promises, webcam-based eye tracking has to overcome several challenges, most importantly, varying spatial and temporal resolutions. Another challenge that the educational domain faces especially, is that typically individual students are of interest in contrast to average values. In this paper, we explore whether an attention measure that is based on eye movement synchronicity of a group of students can be applied with unreliably-sampled data. Doing so we aim to reproduce earlier work that showed that, on average, eye movement synchronicity can predict performance in a comprehension quiz. We were not able to reproduce the findings with unreliably-sampled data, which highlights the challenges that lie ahead of webcam-based eye tracking in practice.
},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Webcam-based eye-tracking promises easy and quick data collection without the need for specific or additional eye-tracking hardware. This makes it especially attractive for educational research, in particular for modern formats, such as MOOCs. However, in order to fulfill its promises, webcam-based eye tracking has to overcome several challenges, most importantly, varying spatial and temporal resolutions. Another challenge that the educational domain faces especially, is that typically individual students are of interest in contrast to average values. In this paper, we explore whether an attention measure that is based on eye movement synchronicity of a group of students can be applied with unreliably-sampled data. Doing so we aim to reproduce earlier work that showed that, on average, eye movement synchronicity can predict performance in a comprehension quiz. We were not able to reproduce the findings with unreliably-sampled data, which highlights the challenges that lie ahead of webcam-based eye tracking in practice.
Hirzle, Teresa; Sauter, Marian; Wagner, Tobias; Hummel, Susanne; Rukzio, Enrico; Huckauf, Anke
Attention of many observers visualized by eye movements Best Paper Proceedings Article
In: 2022 Symposium on eye tracking research and applications, pp. 1–7, 2022.
@inproceedings{hirzle2022attention,
title = {Attention of many observers visualized by eye movements},
author = {Teresa Hirzle and Marian Sauter and Tobias Wagner and Susanne Hummel and Enrico Rukzio and Anke Huckauf},
doi = {10.1145/3517031.3529235},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-01-01},
urldate = {2022-01-01},
booktitle = {2022 Symposium on eye tracking research and applications},
pages = {1\textendash7},
abstract = {Interacting with a group of people requires to direct the attention of the whole group, thus requires feedback about the crowd’s attention. In face-to-face interactions, head and eye movements serve as indicator for crowd attention. However, when interacting online, such indicators are not available. To substitute this information, gaze visualizations were adapted for a crowd scenario. We developed, implemented, and evaluated four types of visualizations of crowd attention in an online study with 72 participants using lecture videos enriched with audience’s gazes. All participants reported increased connectedness to the audience, especially for visualizations depicting the whole distribution of gaze including spatial information. Visualizations avoiding spatial overlay by depicting only the variability were regarded as less helpful, for real-time as well as for retrospective analyses of lectures. Improving our visualizations of crowd attention has the potential for a broad variety of applications, in all kinds of social interaction and communication in groups.
},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Interacting with a group of people requires to direct the attention of the whole group, thus requires feedback about the crowd’s attention. In face-to-face interactions, head and eye movements serve as indicator for crowd attention. However, when interacting online, such indicators are not available. To substitute this information, gaze visualizations were adapted for a crowd scenario. We developed, implemented, and evaluated four types of visualizations of crowd attention in an online study with 72 participants using lecture videos enriched with audience’s gazes. All participants reported increased connectedness to the audience, especially for visualizations depicting the whole distribution of gaze including spatial information. Visualizations avoiding spatial overlay by depicting only the variability were regarded as less helpful, for real-time as well as for retrospective analyses of lectures. Improving our visualizations of crowd attention has the potential for a broad variety of applications, in all kinds of social interaction and communication in groups.
Stefani, Maximilian; Sauter, Marian; Mack, Wolfgang
Transferability of cost reduction from dual-tasks to a triple-task–A comparison of new and trained participants Journal Article
In: 2022.
@article{stefani2022transferability,
title = {Transferability of cost reduction from dual-tasks to a triple-task\textendashA comparison of new and trained participants},
author = {Maximilian Stefani and Marian Sauter and Wolfgang Mack},
doi = {10.21203/rs.3.rs-1802747/v1},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-01-01},
urldate = {2022-01-01},
abstract = {Dual-task paradigms have dominated multitasking research in recent decades. However, recent research has shown that adding a third task to a standard dual-task is not just an add-on (Stefani et al., accepted). Response times and error rates increased more than twofold for the triple-task compared to dual-tasks. It seems that task coordination plays a crucial role in multiple task processing. In the present study, we sought to narrow the gap between lab-based and real-world applications, as the prediction of current cognitive models is still restricted. In Experiment 1, we trained participants in a location-hand and pitch-voice dual-task for up to nine sessions. In another eight sessions, this was followed by a triple-task training (location-hand, pitch-voice, and color-feet) in Experiment 2. In addition, participants with no prior knowledge of dual- or triple-task also trained the triple-task in eight sessions. In E2, all single-tasks and all possible dual-task combinations were also trained. We could demonstrate that participants who had previously trained dual-tasks benefited from them in E2. However, they could not gain a significant advantage in the new third single-task (responding to color stimuli with their foot). In the last session, no difference in training status could be detected anymore. In general, the higher demands on the coordination of subtasks seem to have a much greater impact on response times than in dual-tasks, which is given little to no consideration in the current multitasking research.
},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Dual-task paradigms have dominated multitasking research in recent decades. However, recent research has shown that adding a third task to a standard dual-task is not just an add-on (Stefani et al., accepted). Response times and error rates increased more than twofold for the triple-task compared to dual-tasks. It seems that task coordination plays a crucial role in multiple task processing. In the present study, we sought to narrow the gap between lab-based and real-world applications, as the prediction of current cognitive models is still restricted. In Experiment 1, we trained participants in a location-hand and pitch-voice dual-task for up to nine sessions. In another eight sessions, this was followed by a triple-task training (location-hand, pitch-voice, and color-feet) in Experiment 2. In addition, participants with no prior knowledge of dual- or triple-task also trained the triple-task in eight sessions. In E2, all single-tasks and all possible dual-task combinations were also trained. We could demonstrate that participants who had previously trained dual-tasks benefited from them in E2. However, they could not gain a significant advantage in the new third single-task (responding to color stimuli with their foot). In the last session, no difference in training status could be detected anymore. In general, the higher demands on the coordination of subtasks seem to have a much greater impact on response times than in dual-tasks, which is given little to no consideration in the current multitasking research.
Stefani, Maximilian; Sauter, Marian; Eichert, Franziska; Mack, Wolfgang
Expanding dual-task research by a triple-task Journal Article
In: Open Psychology, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 152–174, 2022.
@article{stefani2022expanding,
title = {Expanding dual-task research by a triple-task},
author = {Maximilian Stefani and Marian Sauter and Franziska Eichert and Wolfgang Mack},
doi = {10.1515/psych-2022-0008},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-01-01},
urldate = {2022-01-01},
journal = {Open Psychology},
volume = {4},
number = {1},
pages = {152\textendash174},
publisher = {De Gruyter},
abstract = {Multitasking research in the laboratory is dominated by extremely simplistic dual-task paradigms. Although dual-tasks allow for some variations, they do not compare well to more complex everyday task settings. This study expands a classical dual-task paradigm by adding a third task. The dual-tasks and the triple-task always consisted of the same three single tasks. The aim was to investigate the effects of the combinations of the three single-tasks and in which manner response times and costs increased. Stimulus-response pairings were varied either once within participants (E1) or between participants (E2). Our results showed that the increase in response time from dual-tasks to triple-tasks was only 43% of the increase from single-tasks to dual-tasks suggesting a non-linear cost of adding tasks. Moreover, response times in each subtask were higher in triple-task situations compared to single-task or dual-task situations. This is in contrast to classical dual-tasks, in which typically only one of the two responses is delayed. Cognitively, for costs in triple-tasks, unlike in dual-tasks, task coordination seems to play a larger role compared to the classically suggested relationships between stimulus and response in terms of their modality- and ideomotor-compatibility which we will discuss. Overall, the study demonstrates that current multitasking research is limited in its generalizability by focusing only on dual-tasks and would benefit from research with more complex task settings},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Multitasking research in the laboratory is dominated by extremely simplistic dual-task paradigms. Although dual-tasks allow for some variations, they do not compare well to more complex everyday task settings. This study expands a classical dual-task paradigm by adding a third task. The dual-tasks and the triple-task always consisted of the same three single tasks. The aim was to investigate the effects of the combinations of the three single-tasks and in which manner response times and costs increased. Stimulus-response pairings were varied either once within participants (E1) or between participants (E2). Our results showed that the increase in response time from dual-tasks to triple-tasks was only 43% of the increase from single-tasks to dual-tasks suggesting a non-linear cost of adding tasks. Moreover, response times in each subtask were higher in triple-task situations compared to single-task or dual-task situations. This is in contrast to classical dual-tasks, in which typically only one of the two responses is delayed. Cognitively, for costs in triple-tasks, unlike in dual-tasks, task coordination seems to play a larger role compared to the classically suggested relationships between stimulus and response in terms of their modality- and ideomotor-compatibility which we will discuss. Overall, the study demonstrates that current multitasking research is limited in its generalizability by focusing only on dual-tasks and would benefit from research with more complex task settings
2021
Sauter, Marian; Braun, Tina; Mack, Wolfgang
In: Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, vol. 24, no. 2, pp. 94–100, 2021.
@article{sauter2021social,
title = {Social context and gaming motives predict mental health better than time played: an exploratory regression analysis with over 13,000 video game players},
author = {Marian Sauter and Tina Braun and Wolfgang Mack},
doi = {10.1089/cyber.2020.0234},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-01-01},
urldate = {2021-01-01},
journal = {Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking},
volume = {24},
number = {2},
pages = {94--100},
publisher = {Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers 140 Huguenot Street, 3rd Floor New~…},
abstract = {Video gaming has become massively adopted over the last years and Internet gaming disorder (IGD) has been noted as an increasing mental health problem. In this context, earlier studies focused on raw playtime (number of hours). Later studies also incorporated gaming motives while social contexts were not considered directly. Because social inclusion is one of the most powerful predictors of general mental health, in this study, we focused on the social context in which games are played. The sample consisted of 13,464 participants from 109 different countries, who played an average of ∼22 hours per week. Psychological well-being was assessed with the Satisfaction with Life Scale, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 questionnaire, and the Social Phobia Inventory. We found that raw playtime is an uninformative predictor of a gamer's mental health and believe that earlier studies with smaller sample sizes may have overestimated its influence. Gaming motives (achievement and escapism, in particular) were generally found to be predictive. Of importance, the social context in which gamers play had large influence on their mental health and can potentially, in combination with the gaming motives, serve as a powerful predictor of clinically relevant at-risk groups in gaming.
},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Video gaming has become massively adopted over the last years and Internet gaming disorder (IGD) has been noted as an increasing mental health problem. In this context, earlier studies focused on raw playtime (number of hours). Later studies also incorporated gaming motives while social contexts were not considered directly. Because social inclusion is one of the most powerful predictors of general mental health, in this study, we focused on the social context in which games are played. The sample consisted of 13,464 participants from 109 different countries, who played an average of ∼22 hours per week. Psychological well-being was assessed with the Satisfaction with Life Scale, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 questionnaire, and the Social Phobia Inventory. We found that raw playtime is an uninformative predictor of a gamer’s mental health and believe that earlier studies with smaller sample sizes may have overestimated its influence. Gaming motives (achievement and escapism, in particular) were generally found to be predictive. Of importance, the social context in which gamers play had large influence on their mental health and can potentially, in combination with the gaming motives, serve as a powerful predictor of clinically relevant at-risk groups in gaming.
Sauter, Marian; Hanning, Nina Maria; Liesefeld, Heinrich René; Müller, Hermann J
Post-capture processes contribute to statistical learning of distractor locations in visual search Journal Article
In: Cortex, vol. 135, pp. 108–126, 2021.
@article{sauter2021eye,
title = {Post-capture processes contribute to statistical learning of distractor locations in visual search},
author = {Marian Sauter and Nina Maria Hanning and Heinrich Ren\'{e} Liesefeld and Hermann J M\"{u}ller},
doi = {10.1016/j.cortex.2020.11.016},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-01-01},
urldate = {2021-01-01},
journal = {Cortex},
volume = {135},
pages = {108--126},
publisher = {Elsevier},
abstract = {People can learn to ignore salient distractors that occur frequently at particular locations, making them interfere less with task performance. This effect has been attributed to learnt suppression of the likely distractor locations at a pre-selective stage of attentional-priority computation. However, rather than distractors at frequent (vs rare) locations being just less likely to capture attention, attention may possibly also be disengaged faster from such distractors \textendash a post-selective contribution to their reduced interference. Eye-movement studies confirm that learnt suppression, evidenced by a reduced rate of oculomotor capture by distractors at frequent locations, is a major factor, whereas the evidence is mixed with regard to a role of rapid disengagement However, methodological choices in these studies limited conclusions as to the contribution of a post-capture effect. Using an adjusted design, here we positively establish the rapid-disengagement effect, while corroborating the oculomotor-capture effect. Moreover, we examine distractor-location learning effects not only for distractors defined in a different visual dimension to the search target, but also for distractors defined within the same dimension, which are known to cause particularly strong interference and probability-cueing effects. Here, we show that both oculomotor-capture and disengagement dynamics contribute to this pattern. Additionally, on distractor-absent trials, the slowed responses to targets at frequent distractor locations\textemdashthat we observe only in same-, but not different-, dimension conditions\textemdasharise pre-selectively, in prolonged latencies of the very first saccade. This supports the idea that learnt suppression is implemented at a different level of priority computation with same-versus different-dimension distractors.
},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
People can learn to ignore salient distractors that occur frequently at particular locations, making them interfere less with task performance. This effect has been attributed to learnt suppression of the likely distractor locations at a pre-selective stage of attentional-priority computation. However, rather than distractors at frequent (vs rare) locations being just less likely to capture attention, attention may possibly also be disengaged faster from such distractors – a post-selective contribution to their reduced interference. Eye-movement studies confirm that learnt suppression, evidenced by a reduced rate of oculomotor capture by distractors at frequent locations, is a major factor, whereas the evidence is mixed with regard to a role of rapid disengagement However, methodological choices in these studies limited conclusions as to the contribution of a post-capture effect. Using an adjusted design, here we positively establish the rapid-disengagement effect, while corroborating the oculomotor-capture effect. Moreover, we examine distractor-location learning effects not only for distractors defined in a different visual dimension to the search target, but also for distractors defined within the same dimension, which are known to cause particularly strong interference and probability-cueing effects. Here, we show that both oculomotor-capture and disengagement dynamics contribute to this pattern. Additionally, on distractor-absent trials, the slowed responses to targets at frequent distractor locations—that we observe only in same-, but not different-, dimension conditions—arise pre-selectively, in prolonged latencies of the very first saccade. This supports the idea that learnt suppression is implemented at a different level of priority computation with same-versus different-dimension distractors.
Kiefer, Markus; Baumann, Martin; Huckauf, Anke; Ernst, Marc; Herbert, Cornelia; Sauter, Marian
Advances in Experimental Psychology Proceedings
Walter de Gruyter GmbH, vol. 3, no. 1, 2021, ISSN: 2543-8883.
@proceedings{Kiefer2021,
title = {Advances in Experimental Psychology},
author = {Markus Kiefer and Martin Baumann and Anke Huckauf and Marc Ernst and Cornelia Herbert and Marian Sauter},
doi = {10.1515/psych-2020-0116},
issn = {2543-8883},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-01-01},
urldate = {2021-01-01},
volume = {3},
number = {1},
pages = {64--65},
publisher = {Walter de Gruyter GmbH},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {proceedings}
}
2020
Sauter, Marian; Stefani, Maximilian; Mack, Wolfgang
Towards Interactive Search: Investigating Visual Search in a Novel Real-World Paradigm Journal Article
In: Brain Sciences, vol. 10, no. 12, 2020, ISSN: 2076-3425.
@article{Sauter2020g,
title = {Towards Interactive Search: Investigating Visual Search in a Novel Real-World Paradigm},
author = {Marian Sauter and Maximilian Stefani and Wolfgang Mack},
doi = {10.3390/brainsci10120927},
issn = {2076-3425},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-12-00},
journal = {Brain Sciences},
volume = {10},
number = {12},
publisher = {MDPI AG},
abstract = {An overwhelming majority of studies on visual search and selective attention were conducted using computer screens. There are arguably shortcomings in transferring knowledge from computer-based studies to real-world search behavior as findings are based on viewing static pictures on computer screens. This does not go well with the dynamic and interactive nature of vision in the real world. It is crucial to take visual search research to the real world in order to study everyday visual search processes. The aim of the present study was to develop an interactive search paradigm that can serve as a “bridge” between classical computerized search and everyday interactive search. We based our search paradigm on simple LEGO® bricks arranged on tabletop trays to ensure comparability with classical computerized visual search studies while providing room for easily increasing the complexity of the search environment. We found that targets were grasped slower when there were more distractors (Experiment 1) and there were sizable differences between various search conditions (Experiment 2), largely in line with classical visual search research and revealing similarities to research in natural scenes. Therefore, our paradigm can be seen as a valuable asset complementing visual search research in an environment between computerized search and everyday search. },
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Stefani, Maximilian; Sauter, Marian; Mack, Wolfgang
Delayed disengagement from irrelevant fixation items: Is it generally functional? Journal Article
In: Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, pp. 1–18, 2020.
@article{stefani2020delayed,
title = {Delayed disengagement from irrelevant fixation items: Is it generally functional?},
author = {Maximilian Stefani and Marian Sauter and Wolfgang Mack},
doi = {10.3758/s13414-019-01926-x},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-01-01},
urldate = {2020-01-01},
journal = {Attention, Perception, \& Psychophysics},
pages = {1--18},
publisher = {Springer US},
abstract = {In a circular visual search paradigm, the disengagement of attention is automatically delayed when a fixated but irrelevant center item shares features of the target item. Additionally, if mismatching letters are presented on these items, response times (RTs) are slowed further, while matching letters evoke faster responses (Wright, Boot, \& Brockmole, 2015a). This is interpreted as a functional reason of the delayed disengagement effect in terms of deeper processing of the fixation item. The purpose of the present study was the generalization of these findings to unfamiliar symbols and to linear instead of circular layouts. Experiments 1 and 2 replicated the functional delayed disengagement effect with letters and symbols. In Experiment 3, the search layout was changed from circular to linear and only saccades from left to right had to be performed. We did not find supportive data for the proposed functional nature of the effect. In Experiments 4 and 5, we tested whether the unidirectional saccade decision, a potential blurring by adjacent items, or a lack of statistical power was the cause of the diminished effects in Experiment 3. With increased sample sizes, the delayed disengagement effect as well as its functional underpinning were now observed consistently. Taken together, our results support prior assumptions that delayed disengagement effects are functionally rooted in a deeper processing of the fixation items. They also generalize to unfamiliar symbols and linear display layouts.
},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
In a circular visual search paradigm, the disengagement of attention is automatically delayed when a fixated but irrelevant center item shares features of the target item. Additionally, if mismatching letters are presented on these items, response times (RTs) are slowed further, while matching letters evoke faster responses (Wright, Boot, & Brockmole, 2015a). This is interpreted as a functional reason of the delayed disengagement effect in terms of deeper processing of the fixation item. The purpose of the present study was the generalization of these findings to unfamiliar symbols and to linear instead of circular layouts. Experiments 1 and 2 replicated the functional delayed disengagement effect with letters and symbols. In Experiment 3, the search layout was changed from circular to linear and only saccades from left to right had to be performed. We did not find supportive data for the proposed functional nature of the effect. In Experiments 4 and 5, we tested whether the unidirectional saccade decision, a potential blurring by adjacent items, or a lack of statistical power was the cause of the diminished effects in Experiment 3. With increased sample sizes, the delayed disengagement effect as well as its functional underpinning were now observed consistently. Taken together, our results support prior assumptions that delayed disengagement effects are functionally rooted in a deeper processing of the fixation items. They also generalize to unfamiliar symbols and linear display layouts.
Sauter, Marian; Draschkow, Dejan; Mack, Wolfgang
Building, hosting and recruiting: A brief introduction to running behavioral experiments online Journal Article
In: Brain sciences, vol. 10, no. 4, pp. 251, 2020.
@article{sauter2020building,
title = {Building, hosting and recruiting: A brief introduction to running behavioral experiments online},
author = {Marian Sauter and Dejan Draschkow and Wolfgang Mack},
doi = {10.3390/brainsci10040251},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-01-01},
urldate = {2020-01-01},
journal = {Brain sciences},
volume = {10},
number = {4},
pages = {251},
publisher = {Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute},
abstract = {Researchers have ample reasons to take their experimental studies out of the lab and into the online wilderness. For some, it is out of necessity, due to an unforeseen laboratory closure or difficulties in recruiting on-site participants. Others want to benefit from the large and diverse online population. However, the transition from in-lab to online data acquisition is not trivial and might seem overwhelming at first. To facilitate this transition, we present an overview of actively maintained solutions for the critical components of successful online data acquisition: creating, hosting and recruiting. Our aim is to provide a brief introductory resource and discuss important considerations for researchers who are taking their first steps towards online experimentation.
},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Researchers have ample reasons to take their experimental studies out of the lab and into the online wilderness. For some, it is out of necessity, due to an unforeseen laboratory closure or difficulties in recruiting on-site participants. Others want to benefit from the large and diverse online population. However, the transition from in-lab to online data acquisition is not trivial and might seem overwhelming at first. To facilitate this transition, we present an overview of actively maintained solutions for the critical components of successful online data acquisition: creating, hosting and recruiting. Our aim is to provide a brief introductory resource and discuss important considerations for researchers who are taking their first steps towards online experimentation.
2019
Sauter, Marian; Liesefeld, Heinrich René; Müller, Hermann J
In: Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, vol. 45, no. 11, pp. 2080, 2019.
@article{sauter2019transfer,
title = {Learning to suppress salient distractors in the target dimension: Region-based inhibition is persistent and transfers to distractors in a nontarget dimension.},
author = {Marian Sauter and Heinrich Ren\'{e} Liesefeld and Hermann J M\"{u}ller},
doi = {10.1037/xlm0000691},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-01-01},
urldate = {2019-01-01},
journal = {Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition},
volume = {45},
number = {11},
pages = {2080},
publisher = {American Psychological Association},
abstract = {It was shown previously that observers can learn to exploit an uneven spatial distribution of singleton distractors to better shield visual search from distractors in the frequent versus the rare region (i.e., distractor location probability cueing; Sauter, Liesefeld, Zehetleitner, \& M\"{u}ller, 2018). However, with distractors defined in the same dimension as the search target, this comes at the cost of impaired detection of targets in the frequent region. In 3 experiments, the present study investigated the learning and unlearning of distractor location probability cueing and the carry-over of cueing effects from same- to different-dimension distractors. All experiments involved a visual search for an orientation-defined singleton target in the presence of either a more salient color-defined (different-dimension) or orientation-defined (same-dimension) distractor singleton, and all were divided into a learning session and a subsequent test session. The present study showed that with same-dimension (but not with different-dimension) distractors, the acquired cueing effect persists over a 24-h break between the training and test session and takes several hundred trials to be unlearned when the distribution is changed to even (50%/50%) in the test session. Furthermore, the target location effect as well as (somewhat less marked) the cueing effect carries over from learning with same-dimension distractors to test with different-dimension distractors. These carry-over effects are in line with the assumption that the learned distractor suppression effects are implemented at different levels in the hierarchical architecture of search guidance: the saliency map with same-dimension distractors versus a dimension-based level below the saliency map with different-dimension distractors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
It was shown previously that observers can learn to exploit an uneven spatial distribution of singleton distractors to better shield visual search from distractors in the frequent versus the rare region (i.e., distractor location probability cueing; Sauter, Liesefeld, Zehetleitner, & Müller, 2018). However, with distractors defined in the same dimension as the search target, this comes at the cost of impaired detection of targets in the frequent region. In 3 experiments, the present study investigated the learning and unlearning of distractor location probability cueing and the carry-over of cueing effects from same- to different-dimension distractors. All experiments involved a visual search for an orientation-defined singleton target in the presence of either a more salient color-defined (different-dimension) or orientation-defined (same-dimension) distractor singleton, and all were divided into a learning session and a subsequent test session. The present study showed that with same-dimension (but not with different-dimension) distractors, the acquired cueing effect persists over a 24-h break between the training and test session and takes several hundred trials to be unlearned when the distribution is changed to even (50%/50%) in the test session. Furthermore, the target location effect as well as (somewhat less marked) the cueing effect carries over from learning with same-dimension distractors to test with different-dimension distractors. These carry-over effects are in line with the assumption that the learned distractor suppression effects are implemented at different levels in the hierarchical architecture of search guidance: the saliency map with same-dimension distractors versus a dimension-based level below the saliency map with different-dimension distractors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
2018
Sauter, Marian; Liesefeld, Heinrich René; Zehetleitner, Michael; Müller, Hermann J.
In: Atten Percept Psychophys, vol. 80, no. 3, pp. 622–642, 2018, ISSN: 1943-393X.
@article{Sauter2018f,
title = {Region-based shielding of visual search from salient distractors: Target detection is impaired with same- but not different-dimension distractors},
author = {Marian Sauter and Heinrich Ren\'{e} Liesefeld and Michael Zehetleitner and Hermann J. M\"{u}ller},
doi = {10.3758/s13414-017-1477-4},
issn = {1943-393X},
year = {2018},
date = {2018-04-00},
urldate = {2018-04-00},
journal = {Atten Percept Psychophys},
volume = {80},
number = {3},
pages = {622--642},
publisher = {Springer Science and Business Media LLC},
abstract = {Shielding visual search against interference from salient distractors becomes more efficient over time for display regions where distractors appear more frequently, rather than only rarely Goschy, Bakos, M\"{u}ller, \& Zehetleitner (Frontiers in Psychology 5: 1195, 2014). We hypothesized that the locus of this learned distractor probability-cueing effect depends on the dimensional relationship of the to-be-inhibited distractor relative to the to-be-attended target. If the distractor and target are defined in different visual dimensions (e.g., a color-defined distractor and orientation-defined target, as in Goschy et al. (Frontiers in Psychology 5: 1195, 2014), distractors may be efficiently suppressed by down-weighting the feature contrast signals in the distractor-defining dimension Zehetleitner, Goschy, \& M\"{u}ller (Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance 38: 941\textendash957, 2012), with stronger down-weighting being applied to the frequent- than to the rare-distractor region. However, given dimensionally coupled feature contrast signal weighting (cf. M\"{u}ller J, Heller \& Ziegler (Perception \& Psychophysics 57:1\textendash17, 1995), this dimension-(down-)weighting strategy would not be effective when the target and the distractors are defined within the same dimension. In this case, suppression may operate differently: by inhibiting the entire frequent-distractor region on the search-guiding master saliency map. The downside of inhibition at this level is that, although it reduces distractor interference in the inhibited (frequent-distractor) region, it also impairs target processing in that region\textemdasheven when no distractor is actually present in the display. This predicted qualitative difference between same- and different-dimension distractors was confirmed in the present study (with 184 participants), thus furthering our understanding of the functional architecture of search guidance, especially regarding the mechanisms involved in shielding search from the interference of distractors that consistently occur in certain display regions.
},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Shielding visual search against interference from salient distractors becomes more efficient over time for display regions where distractors appear more frequently, rather than only rarely Goschy, Bakos, Müller, & Zehetleitner (Frontiers in Psychology 5: 1195, 2014). We hypothesized that the locus of this learned distractor probability-cueing effect depends on the dimensional relationship of the to-be-inhibited distractor relative to the to-be-attended target. If the distractor and target are defined in different visual dimensions (e.g., a color-defined distractor and orientation-defined target, as in Goschy et al. (Frontiers in Psychology 5: 1195, 2014), distractors may be efficiently suppressed by down-weighting the feature contrast signals in the distractor-defining dimension Zehetleitner, Goschy, & Müller (Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance 38: 941–957, 2012), with stronger down-weighting being applied to the frequent- than to the rare-distractor region. However, given dimensionally coupled feature contrast signal weighting (cf. Müller J, Heller & Ziegler (Perception & Psychophysics 57:1–17, 1995), this dimension-(down-)weighting strategy would not be effective when the target and the distractors are defined within the same dimension. In this case, suppression may operate differently: by inhibiting the entire frequent-distractor region on the search-guiding master saliency map. The downside of inhibition at this level is that, although it reduces distractor interference in the inhibited (frequent-distractor) region, it also impairs target processing in that region—even when no distractor is actually present in the display. This predicted qualitative difference between same- and different-dimension distractors was confirmed in the present study (with 184 participants), thus furthering our understanding of the functional architecture of search guidance, especially regarding the mechanisms involved in shielding search from the interference of distractors that consistently occur in certain display regions.
Sauter, Marian
Learning to shield visual search from salient distractors PhD Thesis
LMU Munich, 2018.
@phdthesis{sauter2018thesis,
title = {Learning to shield visual search from salient distractors},
author = {Marian Sauter},
doi = {10.5282/edoc.22309},
year = {2018},
date = {2018-01-01},
urldate = {2018-01-01},
school = {LMU Munich},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {phdthesis}
}
2017
Sauter, Marian; Liesefeld, Heinrich; Müller, Hermann
Learning to shield visual search from salient distractors: Evidence from the N2pc component Journal Article
In: Journal of Vision, vol. 17, no. 10, pp. 1137–1137, 2017.
@article{sauter2017n2pc,
title = {Learning to shield visual search from salient distractors: Evidence from the N2pc component},
author = {Marian Sauter and Heinrich Liesefeld and Hermann M\"{u}ller},
year = {2017},
date = {2017-01-01},
journal = {Journal of Vision},
volume = {17},
number = {10},
pages = {1137--1137},
publisher = {The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Sauter, Marian; Draschkow, Dejan
Are Gamers Sad and Isolated? A database about the Anxiety, Life Satisfaction and Social Phobia of over 13000 participants Technical Manual
2017.
@manual{sauter2017gamers,
title = {Are Gamers Sad and Isolated? A database about the Anxiety, Life Satisfaction and Social Phobia of over 13000 participants},
author = {Marian Sauter and Dejan Draschkow},
year = {2017},
date = {2017-01-01},
urldate = {2017-01-01},
publisher = {PsyArXiv},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {manual}
}
2016
Sauter, Marian; Zehetleitner, Michael; Müller, Hermann
In: Journal of Vision, vol. 16, no. 12, 2016, ISSN: 1534-7362.
@article{Sauter2016,
title = {Learning to shield visual search from salient distractors: qualitative differences in location probability cueing between same- and cross-dimensional distractors},
author = {Marian Sauter and Michael Zehetleitner and Hermann M\"{u}ller},
doi = {10.1167/16.12.1290},
issn = {1534-7362},
year = {2016},
date = {2016-08-31},
journal = {Journal of Vision},
volume = {16},
number = {12},
publisher = {Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO)},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
2015
Soutschek, Alexander; Sauter, Marian; Schubert, Torsten
The Importance of the Lateral Prefrontal Cortex for Strategic Decision Making in the Prisoner’s Dilemma Journal Article
In: Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci, vol. 15, no. 4, pp. 854–860, 2015, ISSN: 1531-135X.
@article{Soutschek2015,
title = {The Importance of the Lateral Prefrontal Cortex for Strategic Decision Making in the Prisoner’s Dilemma},
author = {Alexander Soutschek and Marian Sauter and Torsten Schubert},
doi = {10.3758/s13415-015-0372-5},
issn = {1531-135X},
year = {2015},
date = {2015-12-00},
urldate = {2015-12-00},
journal = {Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci},
volume = {15},
number = {4},
pages = {854--860},
publisher = {Springer Science and Business Media LLC},
abstract = {Previous functional imaging studies investigating the neural basis of strategic decision making in the prisoner’s dilemma reported a correlation between cooperative behavior and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) activity; however, the precise function of the DLPFC in establishing cooperation remains unclear so far. The present study investigated the causal role of the DLPFC in an iterative prisoner’s dilemma game with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). We discovered that disrupting the DLPFC with TMS decreased cooperation rates in comparison to control conditions, with this effect being most pronounced when the partner had defected previously. Thus, the current results suggest that the DLPFC contributes to strategic decision making in the prisoner’s dilemma game.
},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Previous functional imaging studies investigating the neural basis of strategic decision making in the prisoner’s dilemma reported a correlation between cooperative behavior and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) activity; however, the precise function of the DLPFC in establishing cooperation remains unclear so far. The present study investigated the causal role of the DLPFC in an iterative prisoner’s dilemma game with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). We discovered that disrupting the DLPFC with TMS decreased cooperation rates in comparison to control conditions, with this effect being most pronounced when the partner had defected previously. Thus, the current results suggest that the DLPFC contributes to strategic decision making in the prisoner’s dilemma game.