Reliably Measuring Learning-Dependent Distractor Suppression with Eye Tracking

Abstract

In the field of psychological science, behavioral performance in computer-based cognitive tasks often exhibits poor reliability. The absence of reliable measures of cognitive processes contributes to non-reproducibility in the field and impedes investigation of individual differences. Specifically in visual search paradigms, response time-based measures have shown poor test-retest reliability and internal consistency across attention capture and distractor suppression, but one study has demonstrated the potential for oculomotor measures to exhibit superior reliability. Therefore, in this study, we investigated three datasets to compare the reliability of learning-dependent distractor suppression measured via distractor fixations (oculomotor capture) and latency to fixate the target (fixation times). Our findings reveal superior split-half reliability of oculomotor capture compared to that of fixation times regardless of the critical distractor comparison, with the reliability of oculomotor capture in most cases falling within the range that is acceptable for the investigation of individual differences. We additionally find that older adults have superior oculomotor reliability compared with young adults, potentially addressing a significant limitation in the aging literature of high variability in response time measures due to slower responses. Our findings highlight the utility of measuring eye movements in the pursuit of reliable indicators of distractor processing and the need to further test and develop additional measures in other sensory domains to maximize statistical power, reliability, and reproducibility.

Eye movements reveal age differences in how arousal modulates saliency priority but not attention processing speed

“…Second, eye movements are emerging as a potential measure of locus coeruleus function in humans (Joshi, 2023). Given the high reliability of oculomotor function even in older adults (Kim, Grégoire, et al, 2024), the establishment and validation of eye movements as a measure of locus coeruleus function may be critically useful to investigate changes in the locus coeruleus-noradrenaline system in aging and disease. Eye movements are effective in distinguishing between neurodegenerative diseases (Garbutt et al, 2008;Lage et al, 2020;Z.…”

“…We employed a systems neuroscience approach to investigate age differences in interactions between the locus coeruleus-noradrenaline (LC-NE) system and multiple attentional control networks (top-down vs. bottom-up; proactive vs. reactive), using pupillometry and oculomotor measures. Investigating eye movements were ideal for this purpose given its high reliability in both young and older adults (Kim, Grégoire, et al, 2024), the absence of confounding factors on aging compared with motor response times (Hollingworth & Bahle, 2020), and the known networks of interaction between the LC-NE system and oculomotor system in visual perception (Grefkes et al, 2010;Joshi, 2023;Kalwani et al, 2014;Sawaguchi & Kikuchi, 1998). Our primary goal was to investigate the mechanisms by which arousal differentially modulates attentional control in young and older adults.…”