Open AccessMeasuring sensitivity to eye gaze cues in naturalistic scenes: Presenting the eye gaze FoCuS database
Author(s) -
Bill Gordon,
Whyte Elisabeth,
Griffin Jason W.,
Scherf K. Suzanne
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
international journal of methods in psychiatric research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.275
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1557-0657
pISSN - 1049-8931
DOI - 10.1002/mpr.1833
Subject(s) - gaze , psychology , eye contact , eye tracking , eye movement , perception , cognitive psychology , nonverbal communication , fixation (population genetics) , communication , computer science , artificial intelligence , neuroscience , population , demography , sociology , psychoanalysis
Objectives The ability to process information about eye gaze and its use for nonverbal communication is foundational to human social interactions. We developed and validated a database of stimuli that are optimized to investigate the perception and referential understanding of shifts in eye gaze. Methods The 245 Gaze Perception stimuli are digital photographs that test the ability to estimate and interpret eye gaze trajectory. The 82 Gaze Following stimuli are digital videos that measure the ability to follow and interpret eye gaze shifts online. Both stimuli were designed for a 4‐alternative forced choice paradigm (4AFC) in which the participant identifies the gazed‐at object. Results Each stimulus was validated by independent raters and only included if the endorsement of the correct item was ≥75%. Finally, we provided timestamps for 19 40‐second video segments from adolescent‐oriented entertainment movies that are matched on several factors. These segments involve social interactions with eye gaze shifts and can be used to measure visual social attention. Conclusions This database will be an excellent resource for researchers interested in studying the developmental, behavioral, and/or neural mechanisms supporting the perception and interpretation of eye gaze cues.