Award Abstract #0320994
Acquisition of an Eye Movement Tracking System for Research on Cognition, Memory and Affect

NSF Org:	BCS Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences
Initial Amendment Date:	July 25, 2003
Latest Amendment Date:	July 25, 2003
Award Number:	0320994
Award Instrument:	Standard Grant
Program Manager:	John E. Yellen BCS Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences SBE Directorate for Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences
Start Date:	August 1, 2003
Expires:	July 31, 2004 (Estimated)
Awarded Amount to Date:	$32191
Investigator(s):	Jesse Whitlow bwhitlow@camden.rutgers.edu (Principal Investigator) Michael Wogan (Co-Principal Investigator) Jon'a Meyer (Co-Principal Investigator)
Sponsor:	Rutgers University New Brunswick 3 RUTGERS PLAZA NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ 08901 732/932-0150
NSF Program(s):	MAJOR RESEARCH INSTRUMENTATION
Field Application(s):
Program Reference Code(s):	OTHR, 0000
Program Element Code(s):	1189

ABSTRACT

Funding from a National Science Foundation Major Research Instrumentation award will allow faculty on the Camden campus of Rutgers University to create a laboratory facility that uses eye tracking to provide a non-invasive, real-time measure of what people are looking at and how much the object of their gaze interests them. Because vision is the sense that dominates information processing for most people, monitoring the focus and duration of their eye fixations (and pupillary diameter during each fixation) while people examine meaningful scenes provides a powerful indicator of conscious and nonconscious attention and thought. Because it does not involve intrusive procedures, eye tracking can be used with a broad spectrum of subject populations. Moreover, advances in technology now make eye tracking a feasible measure in applications that extend well beyond traditional uses of this methodology. Thus, this facility will support research in several new directions by faculty in psychology and criminal justice at Rutgers-Camden.

The eye tracking laboratory at Rutgers-Camden will allow a variety of researchers from different disciplines to evaluate the role of visual attention in the context of investigations of human causal reasoning, the development of memory (especially "false memory") in children and adults, evaluations of alternative learning strategies, like "accelerated learning", and the development of accurate measures of recidivism among sex offenders. This facility will also strengthen existing collaborations among faculty in psychology, criminal justice, and biology on projects that combine cognitive neuroscience with applied problems in clinical and forensic psychology.

Dr. Whitlow and his colleagues will use the funds to purchase a state-of-the-art eye tracking system that provides accurate monitoring of eye movements and pupillary diameter without requiring onerous head restraints. They will create a dedicated laboratory space for collecting eye tracking data and for training both undergraduate and graduate students in using the technology. They will also provide demonstrations of the technology to pre-college students in various outreach activities.

This project will have important benefits for both teaching and research. It will be the only research-quality eye tracking system in an educational setting in southern New Jersey, and it will be used by two departments that account for more than 30% of the baccalaureates awarded at Rutgers-Camden. With respect to teaching, the facility will support training undergraduate and graduate students in the use of a major research methodology. It will also support the long-standing science education outreach activities of Dr. Whitlow and his colleagues, which are designed to interest high school students, especially urban, minority youth, in pursuing science careers. With respect to research, the facility will provide a unique capability for investigating new approaches to understanding how people process and use information in causal reasoning, to exploring how visual information is used in forming long-term memories, and for developing improved assessment techniques in forensic psychology.

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