Pupillometry: Psychology, Physiology, and Function

Mathôt, Sebastiaan

doi:10.5334/joc.18

Cited by 567 publications

(646 citation statements)

References 96 publications

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“…The positive-polarity advantage is likely related to pupil size. When the background of a display is bright, the pupil constricts, compared to when the background is dark; this is the pupil light response (reviewed in Mathôt, 2018;Mathôt & Van der Stigchel, 2015). In terms of visual perception, there are three main consequences of a bright background and the resulting pupil constriction.…”

Section: The Effect Of Pupil Size and Peripheral Brightness On Detectmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of pupil size and peripheral brightness on detection and discrimination performance

Mathôt

Ivanov

2019

Preprint

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It is easier to read dark text on a bright background (positive polarity) than to read bright text on a dark background (negative polarity). This positive-polarity advantage is often linked to pupil size: A bright background induces small pupils, which in turn increases visual acuity. Here we report that pupil size, when manipulated through peripheral brightness, has qualitatively different effects on discrimination of fine stimuli in central vision and detection of faint stimuli in peripheral vision. Small pupils lead to improved discrimination performance, consistent with the positive-polarity advantage, but only for very small stimuli that are at the threshold of visual acuity. In contrast, large pupils lead to improved detection performance.These results are likely due to two pupil-size related factors: Small pupils increase visual acuity, which improves discrimination of fine stimuli; and large pupils increase light influx, which improves detection of faint stimuli. Light scatter is likely also a contributing factor: When a display is bright, light scatter creates a diffuse veil of retinal illumination that reduces image contrast, thus impairing detection performance. We further found that pupil size was larger during the detection task than during the discrimination task, even though both tasks were equally difficult and similar in visual input; this suggests that the pupil may automatically assume an optimal size for the current task. Our results may explain why pupils dilate in response to arousal: This may reflect an increased emphasis on detection of unpredictable danger, which is crucially important in many situations that are characterized by high levels of arousal. Finally, we discuss the implications of our results for the ergonomics of display design.

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Section: The Effect Of Pupil Size and Peripheral Brightness On Detectmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of pupil size and peripheral brightness on detection and discrimination performance

Mathôt

Ivanov

2019

Preprint

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“…Pupil size depends strongly on light levels, but it also covaries with an array of perceptual and 22 cognitive processes -from attention to memory to decision making (for recent reviews, Binda & 23 Gamlin, 2017; Ebitz & Moore, 2018; Mathôt, 2018;Wang & Munoz, 2015). Pupil size can be 24 measured noninvasively and continuously, making pupillometry a promising tool for probing the 25 ongoing dynamics linked to these processes.…”

Section: Introduction 21mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Pupil size can be 24 measured noninvasively and continuously, making pupillometry a promising tool for probing the 25 ongoing dynamics linked to these processes. The pupil dilates in response to task-relevant 26 stimuli (Hoeks & Levelt, 1993 superior colliculus, which interact with the pathways that control pupillary dilation and 38 constriction (Mathôt, 2018;Wang & Munoz, 2015). The pupil time series may therefore carry 39 information about multiple events within an experimental trial, as well as about anticipatory 40 neural responses not available from behavioral reports alone, which provide retrospective rather 41 than online measures.…”

Section: Introduction 21mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Modeling pupil responses to rapid sequential events

Denison

Parker

Carrasco

2019

Preprint

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Pupil size is an easily accessible, noninvasive online indicator of various perceptual and cognitive processes. Pupil measurements have the potential to reveal continuous processing dynamics throughout an experimental trial, including anticipatory responses. However, the relatively sluggish (∼2 s) response dynamics of pupil dilation make it challenging to connect changes in pupil size to events occurring close together in time. Researchers have used models to link changes in pupil size to specific trial events, but such methods have not been systematically evaluated. Here we developed and evaluated a general linear model (GLM) pipeline that estimates pupillary responses to multiple rapid events within an experimental trial. We evaluated the modeling approach using a sample dataset in which multiple sequential stimuli were presented within 2-s trials. We found: (1) Model fits improved when the pupil impulse response function (puRF) was fit for each observer. PuRFs varied substantially across individuals but were consistent for each individual. (2) Model fits also improved when pupil responses were not assumed to occur simultaneously with their associated trial events, but could have non-zero latencies. For example, pupil responses could anticipate predictable trial events. (3) Parameter recovery confirmed the validity of the fitting procedures, and we quantified the reliability of the parameter estimates for our sample dataset. (4) A cognitive task manipulation modulated pupil response amplitude. We provide our pupil analysis pipeline as open-source software (Pupil Response Estimation Toolbox: PRET) to facilitate the estimation of pupil responses and the evaluation of the estimates in other datasets.

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“…Analyzing pupil reactions by means of a camera is clearly less obtrusive. Pupil diameter (for neural pathways, see Aston-Jones & Cohen, 2005;Mathôt, 2018) reflects the balance of the autonomic nervous system (see, e.g., Steinhauer, Siegle, Condray, & Pless, 2004). Parasympathetic activation causes a constriction (miosis) of the pupil, whereas sympathetic activation causes adilation (mydriasis).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The pupil response as an indicator of user experience in a digital exercise game

et al. 2019

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To study whether psychophysiological indicators are suitable measures of user experience in a digital exercise game (exergame), a laboratory study employing both psychophysiological and self‐report measures was conducted. Sixty‐six participants cycled for 10 min on an ergometer while pupil diameter, skin conductance, and heart rate were measured; afterward, they completed a user experience questionnaire. The participants performed under three experimental conditions varying between subjects: active gaming (participants controlled the altitude of a digital bird by varying their pedal rate in order to catch letters flying across the screen), observing a game (they observed a replay of another participant’s game), and no‐game (blank screen). Only the gaming condition showed evidence for statistically significant pupil dilations—indicating emotional arousal—in response to game events (catching a letter) or corresponding points in time. The observational condition did not differ statistically from the no‐game control condition. Self‐reports also indicated that the gaming condition was rated most fun and least demanding. Other psychophysiological indicators (heart rate, skin conductance) showed no systematic effects in response to game events, rather they steadily increased during training. Thus, pupil responses were shown to be suitable indicators of positive emotional reactions to game events and user experience in a (training) game.

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Pupillometry: Psychology, Physiology, and Function

Cited by 567 publications

References 96 publications

The effect of pupil size and peripheral brightness on detection and discrimination performance

The effect of pupil size and peripheral brightness on detection and discrimination performance

Modeling pupil responses to rapid sequential events

The pupil response as an indicator of user experience in a digital exercise game

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