Possibilities of eye tracking and EEG integration for visual search on 2D maps

This on-going research paper explores (the possibilities to integrate eye tracking (ET) and electroencephalogram (EEG) for cartographic usability research. While ET, on one hand, provides observations and measurements related to gaze movements, EEG, on the other hand, helps to monitor and measure electrical activity occurring at different locations in the brain with a high temporal resolution. Therefore, combining ET and EEG introduces a holistic approach enabling to measure both overt and covert attention, and additionally, may reveal insights on individual’s different strategies of spatial cognition, if there is any. In this context, we introduce the experimental design settings for visual search task on simplified 2D static maps considering expert and novice participants, outlining methodological proposal and possible analyses. The paper mainly discusses the technical and theoretical issues of ET-EEG integration and mentions potential benefits of implementing EEG in cartographic usability research to indicate its value for future studies.

[1]  M S Treder,et al.  Gaze-independent brain–computer interfaces based on covert attention and feature attention , 2011, Journal of neural engineering.

[2]  Todd C. Handy,et al.  Event-related potentials : a methods handbook , 2005 .

[3]  Arzu Çöltekin,et al.  Exploring the efficiency of users' visual analytics strategies based on sequence analysis of eye movement recordings , 2010, Int. J. Geogr. Inf. Sci..

[4]  Michael X Cohen,et al.  Analyzing Neural Time Series Data: Theory and Practice , 2014 .

[5]  Kristien Ooms.  Maps, how do users see them?: an in depth investigation of the map users' cognitive processes , 2012 .

[6]  Emi Tanaka,et al.  Multi-Dimensional Dynamics of Human Electromagnetic Brain Activity , 2016, Front. Hum. Neurosci..

[7]  James W Bisley,et al.  The role of the lateral intraparietal area in orienting attention and its implications for visual search , 2011, The European journal of neuroscience.

[8]  J. Atkinson,et al.  Neural Differences between Covert and Overt Attention Studied using EEG with Simultaneous Remote Eye Tracking , 2016, Front. Hum. Neurosci..

[9]  Arnaud Delorme,et al.  EEGLAB: an open source toolbox for analysis of single-trial EEG dynamics including independent component analysis , 2004, Journal of Neuroscience Methods.

[10]  Guanyu Liu,et al.  Frontal eye field involvement in sustaining visual attention: Evidence from transcranial magnetic stimulation , 2015, NeuroImage.

[11]  R. Krauzlis,et al.  Superior colliculus and visual spatial attention. , 2013, Annual review of neuroscience.

[12]  Mary Hegarty,et al.  Cognitively Inspired and Perceptually Salient Graphic Displays for Efficient Spatial Inference Making , 2010 .

[13]  Sara Irina Fabrikant,et al.  Triangulating Eye Movement Data of Animated Displays , 2014, ET4S@GIScience.

[14]  Ioannis Delikostidis,et al.  Field-Based Usability Evaluation Methodology for Mobile Geo-Applications , 2008 .

[15]  A. Jacobs,et al.  Coregistration of eye movements and EEG in natural reading: analyses and review. , 2011, Journal of experimental psychology. General.

[16]  Peter W Dicke,et al.  Neuron-specific contribution of the superior colliculus to overt and covert shifts of attention , 2004, Nature Neuroscience.