Individual differences in eye movements during face identification reflect observer-specific optimal points of fixation.

ABSTRACT: In general, humans tend to first look just below the eyes when identifying another person. Does everybody look at the same place on a face during identification, and, if not, does this variability in fixation behavior lead to functional consequences? In two conditions, observers had their free eye movements recorded while they performed a face-identification task. In another condition, the same observers identified faces while their gaze was restricted to specific locations on each face. We found substantial differences, which persisted over time, in where individuals chose to first move their eyes. Observers' systematic departure from a canonical, theoretically optimal fixation point did not correlate with performance degradation. Instead, each individual's looking preference corresponded

SUBMITTER: Peterson MF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6590077 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature