Goal-driven and bottom-up gaze in an active real-world search task

Mobile eye tracking has become a useful tool in studies of vision and attention in real-world tasks. However, there remains a disconnection between such studies and the laboratory paradigms used by cognitive psychology. In particular, visual search has been studied intensively, but lab search often differs from search in the real world in many respects (e.g., in reality one must walk and move head and eyes to find the target, target and distractors are not equally visible, and objects are frequently occluded). Here, we took a broader view of search behaviour and analyzed the gaze of participants who were asked to walk around within a building, find a room, and then locate a target mailbox. Our aim was to describe the differences in behaviour according to principles of (lab-based) visual search, and we did this by testing the effects of top-down instructions (i.e. having more or less information about where to go) and target saliency (i.e. having a more or less distinctive target to look for). These factors made a difference in a real world context by changing the frequency with which signs and cues in the environment were fixated, and by affecting head and eye movements in the mail-room. Bottom-up saliency had little effect on search time, but our approach revealed how it influenced the coordination of gaze, while still allowing us to make contact with laboratory paradigms

Where have eye been? Observers can recognise their own fixations

We are often not explicitly aware of the location of our spatial attention, despite its influence on our perception and cognition. During a picture memory task, we asked whether people could later recognise their eye fixations in a two-alternative test. In three separate experiments, participants performed above chance when discriminating their own fixation patterns from random locations or locations fixated in a different image. Recognition was much poorer when the task was to spot your own versus someone else?s fixations on the same stimulus, but performance remained better than chance. That we are sensitive to our own scan patterns has implications for perception, memory, and meta-cognition

Top-down and bottom-up aspects of active search in a real-world environment

Visual search has been studied intensively in the labouratory, but lab search often differs from search in the real world in many respects. Here, we used a mobile eye tracker to record the gaze of participants engaged in a realistic, active search task. Participants were asked to walk into a mailroom and locate a target mailbox among many similar mailboxes. This procedure allowed control of bottom-up cues (by making the target mailbox more salient; Experiment 1) and top-down instructions (by informing participants about the cue; Experiment 2). The bottom-up salience of the target had no effect on the overall time taken to search for the target, although the salient target was more likely to be fixated and found once it was within the central visual field. Top-down knowledge of target appearance had a larger effect, reducing the need for multiple head and body movements, and meaning that the target was fixated earlier and from further away. Although there remains much to be discovered in complex real-world search, this study demonstrates that principles from visual search in the labouratory influence gaze in natural behaviour, and provides a bridge between these labouratory studies and research examining vision in natural tasks. (PsycINFO Database Record © 2014 APA, all rights reserved)

The consequences of strabismus and the benefits of adult strabismus surgery

Strabismus has a negative impact on patients’ lives regardless of their age. Factors such as self-esteem, relationships with others, education and the ability to find employment may all be negatively affected by strabismus. It is possible to correct strabismus in adulthood successfully; the chances of achieving good ocular alignment are high and the risks of intractable diplopia low. Successful surgery to realign the visual axes can improve visual function, and offer psychosocial benefits that ultimately improve quality of life. The potential benefits of strabismus surgery should be discussed with patients, regardless of their age or the age of onset of strabismus. This article reviews the impact of strabismus, focusing on the psychosocial consequences of the condition, of which many optometrists may be less aware

Using Technology to Encourage Self-Directed Learning: The Collaborative Lecture Annotation System

The rapidly-developing 21st century world of work and knowledge calls for self-directed lifelong (SDL) learners. While higher education must embrace the types of pedagogies that foster SDL skills in graduates, the pace of change in education can be glacial. This paper describes a social annotation technology, the Collaborative Lecture Annotation System (CLAS), that can be used to leverage existing teaching and learning practices for acquisition of 21st Century SDL skills. CLAS was designed to build upon the artifacts of traditional didactic modes of teaching, create enriched opportunities for student engagement with peers and learning materials, and offer learners greater control and ownership of their individual learning strategies. Adoption of CLAS creates educational experiences that promote and foster SDL skills: motivation, self-management and self-monitoring. In addition, CLAS incorporates a suite of learning analytics for learners to evaluate their progress, and allow instructors to monitor the development of SDL skills and identify the need for learning support and guidance. CLAS stands as an example of a simple tool that can bridge the gap between traditional transmissive pedagogy and the creation of authentic and collaborative learning spaces

Sensitivity to social agency in autistic adults

The presence of other people, whether real or implied, can have a profound impact on our behaviour. However, it is argued that autistic individuals show decreased interest in social phenomena, which leads to an absence of these effects. In this study, the agency of a cue was manipulated such that the cue was either described as representing a computer program or the eye movements of another participant. Both neurotypical and autistic participants demonstrated a social facilitation effect and were significantly more accurate on a prediction task when they believed the cue represented another participant. This demonstrates that whilst autistic adults may show difficulties in interpreting social behaviour this does not necessarily arise from a lack of sensitivity to social agency

The Effectiveness of Mirroring- and Rhythm-Based Interventions for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: a Systematic Review

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterised as a neurodevelopmental disorder that has continuing deficits in communication skills and social development. Utilising techniques known as mirroring and rhythm, Dance and Movement Therapy (DMT) has shown beneficial effects in the autistic population reducing such deficits. However, no review to date has investigated these individual techniques outside the practice of DMT. This systematic review of studies published between 1975 and 2020 aims to evaluate the effectiveness of both mirroring and rhythm as interventions that target communication skills and social development in children diagnosed with ASD. Out of 1369 relevant articles, 11 met the inclusion criteria. All studies showed beneficial effects of mirroring and rhythm for communication skills and social development in children diagnosed with ASD. Therefore, incorporating these techniques into new interventions and practice may offer substantial therapeutic benefits for autistic children

Dancing out for a voice; a narrative review of the literature exploring autism, physical activity, and dance

Autism Spectrum Disorder is characterised by profound challenges with social communication and social interaction. Currently, there are few therapeutic interventions that successfully target some of the functionally impairing traits associated with autism. Furthermore, many of these interventions comprise a variety of limitations; including, limited accessibility, extensive durations, or the requirement of a trained professional to deliver the intervention. New research suggests that instead of targeting all traits associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder with a single solution, scientific research should focus on providing therapeutic tools that alleviate functionally impairing facets specific to the individual. Owing to the nature of physical activity, sports, and dance (coordinated movement) these activities could provide opportunities to enhance communication skills and social development in autistic children. Therefore, this paper gives a narrative overview of the literature surrounding communication and coordinated movement; outlining what is meant by communication challenges, exploring the benefits of coordinated movement for traits associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and delineating how coordinated movement elicits positive outcomes for autistic children

Dance, rhythm, and autism spectrum disorder: An explorative study

This topic of research moves the field of dance and movement therapy (DMT) into an area of clinical and social relevance by investigating the most beneficial features of rhythm and music for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The current literature suggests that rhythm, used both inside and outside of DMT, can improve communication skills and social development in children with ASD. However, the optimum features of music and rhythm are ambiguous, consequently limiting the integration of rhythm-based interventions into practice. To answer the research question “What are the most common features of music and rhythm used by registered dance and movement therapists for children with ASD?”, we surveyed 113 registered dance and movement therapists, regarding the most common features of music and rhythm they used within their sessions with autistic children. Most dance and movement therapists used music that had a 4/4 time signature (64 %), was moderato tempo (45 %), and had lyrics (76 %). Qualitative findings validated why these were the most common features of music and rhythm. These musical elements could regularly be integrated into new music and rhythm-based interventions targeting communications skills and social development for children with autism to improve their therapeutic potential