Brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) allow control of various applications or external devices solely by brain activity, e.g., measured by electroencephalography during motor imagery. Many users are unable to modulate their brain activity sufficiently in order to control a BCI. Most of the studies have been focusing on improving the accuracy of BCI control through advances in signal processing and BCI protocol modification. However, some research suggests that motor skills and physiological factors may affect BCI performance as well. Previous studies have indicated that there is differential lateralization of hand movements’ neural representation in right- and left-handed individuals. However, the effects of handedness on sensorimotor rhythm (SMR) distribution and BCI control have not been investigated in detail yet. Our study aims to fill this gap, by comparing the SMR patterns during motor imagery and real-feedback BCI control in right- (N = 20) and left-handers (N = 20). The results of our study show that the lateralization of SMR during a motor imagery task differs according to handedness. Left-handers present lower accuracy during BCI performance (single session) and weaker SMR suppression in the alpha band (8–13 Hz) during mental simulation of left-hand movements. Consequently, to improve BCI control, the user’s training should take into account individual differences in hand dominance.

The aim of this study was to search for oculomotor correlates of expertise in visual arts, in particular with regard to paintings. Achieving this goal was possible by gathering data on eye movements of two groups of participants: experts and non-experts in visual arts who viewed and appreciated the aesthetics of paintings. In particular, we were interested in whether visual arts experts more accurately recognize a balanced composition in one of the two paintings being compared simultaneously, and whether people who correctly recognize harmonious paintings are characterized by a different visual scanning strategy than those who do not recognize them. For the purposes of this study, 25 paintings with an almost ideal balanced composition have been chosen. Some of these paintings are masterpieces of the world cultural heritage, and some of them are unknown. Using Photoshop, the artist developed three additional versions of each of these paintings, differing from the original in the degree of destruction of its harmonious composition: slight, moderate, or significant. The task of the participants was to look at all versions of the same painting in pairs (including the original) and decide which of them looked more pleasing. The study involved 23 experts in art, students of art history, art education or the Academy of Fine Arts, and 19 non-experts, students in the social sciences and the humanities. The experimental manipulation of comparing pairs of paintings, whose composition is at different levels of harmony, has proved to be an effective tool for differentiating people because of their ability to distinguish paintings with balanced composition from an unbalanced one. It turned out that this ability only partly coincides with expertise understood as the effect of education in the field of visual arts. We also found that the eye movements of people who more accurately appreciated paintings with balanced composition differ from those who more liked their altered versions due to dwell time, first and average fixation duration and number of fixations. The familiarity of paintings turned out to be the factor significantly affects both the aesthetic evaluation of paintings and eye movement.

No abstract

Spatial disorientation (SD) poses a serious threat to flight safety. A pilot's gaze behaviour that characterizes his/her visual perception and attention determines success in dealing with this phenomenon. Regardless of a pilot's experience or proficiency, sensory illusions can lead to differences between instrument indications and what the pilot "feels". Understanding how simulator-induced SD cues affect gaze behaviour in pilots and non-pilots is our interest and was addressed as the aim of this research. Using a SD flight simulator, 40 male (20 military pilots; 20 non-pilots) were exposed to 12 flight sequences. We measured and compared subjects' gaze behaviour and flight performance in response to three visual and three motion illusions across two groups (pilots vs. non-pilots) and flight type (non-SD vs. SD flight). From the applied SD cues only in three illusions (false horizon, somatogyral, and Coriolis), the difference in visual attention distribution in comparison with non-SD flight was observed. There was no interaction of expertise and flight type. The pilots had shorter mean fixation time than non-pilots, except for landings. For the same SD flight profiles, we found the changes of the subjects' gaze behaviour and flight performance. The SD cues affect both the pilots and non-pilots in the same way; therefore, being an expert in piloting aircraft does not reduce the susceptibility of the pilot to loss of their spatial orientation. Eye-tracking technology could be useful in the analysis of the pilots' attention and better understanding and training of pilots' flight performance during SD events.

Objective This study investigated the effect of the spatial disorientation (SD) events on an attentive blank stare in the cockpit scene and demonstrated how much the flight task and visual delayed discrimination task were competing for the pilots’ attention. Background SD in flight is the leading cause of human error-related aircraft accidents in the military, general and commercial aviation, and has been an unsolved problem since the inception of flight. In-flight safety research, visually scanning cockpit instruments, and detecting changes are critical countermeasures against SD. Method Thirty male military pilots were performing a dual task involving piloting a flight simulator and visual change detection, while eye movements were obtained using an eye tracker. Results Pilots made more flight errors and spent less time gazing at the area of change in SD-conflict than in non-conflict flights. The vestibular origin SD-conflict led not only to deteriorated piloting and visual scanning but also to problems coordinating overt and covert attention, resulting in lower noticeability of visual changes despite gazing at them. Conclusion Our study shows that looking at a given area in space is not a sufficient condition for effective covert attention allocation and the correct response to a visual stimulus. It seems to be important to make pilots aware of this during SD training. Application To reduce change blindness, some strategies, such as reducing the number of secondary tasks is extremely valuable. Particular efforts should also be focused on improving the design of the aircraft cockpit by increasing the conspicuousness of critical information.