A Methodology for Capturing Joint Visual Attention Using Mobile Eye-Trackers

Bertrand Schneider

doi:10.3791/60670

A Methodology for Capturing Joint Visual Attention Using Mobile Eye-Trackers

JoVE Journal
Behavior
Author Produced

A subscription to JoVE is required to view this content. Sign in or start your free trial.

JoVE Journal Behavior

A Methodology for Capturing Joint Visual Attention Using Mobile Eye-Trackers

Full Text

8,271 Views

12:39 min

January 18, 2020

DOI: 10.3791/60670-v

Bertrand Schneider¹

¹Learning, Innovation, and Technology Lab, Graduate School of Education,Harvard University

Overview

This study explores the use of mobile eye-trackers to quantitatively measure joint visual attention in co-located dyads. By capturing visual attention, researchers can better understand social interactions in educational settings.

Key Study Components

Area of Science

Social Science
Educational Psychology
Eye-Tracking Technology

Background

Joint visual attention is a key construct in understanding social interactions.
It has been linked to the quality of interactions among group members.
Traditionally studied through qualitative methods, such as manual video coding.
Mobile eye-trackers offer a new quantitative approach to this research.

Purpose of Study

To demonstrate the methodology for capturing joint visual attention.
To provide insights into how shared understanding is developed in educational contexts.
To enhance the measurement of social interactions in real-time.

Methods Used

Utilization of mobile eye-trackers to monitor visual attention.
Analysis of gaze patterns between co-located individuals.
Quantitative assessment of joint visual attention.
Comparison of findings with traditional qualitative methods.

Main Results

Mobile eye-trackers effectively capture joint visual attention.
Findings indicate a correlation between shared gaze and interaction quality.
Quantitative data provides a richer understanding of social dynamics.
Methodology can be applied to various educational settings.

Conclusions

Mobile eye-tracking is a valuable tool for social science research.
It allows for a more precise measurement of joint visual attention.
This approach can enhance our understanding of collaborative learning.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is joint visual attention?

Joint visual attention refers to the shared focus of two or more individuals on a common object or event, which is crucial for effective communication and collaboration.

How do mobile eye-trackers work?

Mobile eye-trackers use cameras and sensors to track where a person is looking, allowing researchers to analyze gaze patterns in real-time.

Why is joint visual attention important in education?

It is linked to better communication, understanding, and collaboration among students, which can enhance learning outcomes.

What are the advantages of using mobile eye-trackers?

They provide quantitative data, are less intrusive than traditional methods, and can be used in naturalistic settings.

Can this methodology be applied to other fields?

Yes, the methodology can be adapted for research in various fields, including psychology, communication studies, and human-computer interaction.

Using multimodal sensors is a promising way to understand the role of social interactions in educational settings. This paper describes a methodology for capturing joint visual attention from colocated dyads using mobile eye-trackers.

Hi, my name is Bertrand Schneider and I'm an assistant professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. In this video I'm going to show you how we can use mobile eye-trackers to capture a central construct into social science, joint visual attention. Joint visual attention has been extensively studied by psychologists and has been found to be closely correlated to the quality of the interactions between group members.

It turns out that when people build a common ground and create a shared understanding of a task, they tend to frequently look at the same place at the same time. Traditionally, researchers have studied joint visual attention qualitatively by manually coding videos. I'm going to show you how we can use mobile eye-trackers to get a quantitative measure of this construct in co-located settings.

View the full transcript and gain access to thousands of scientific videos