Gaze behaviour: A window into distinct cognitive processes revealed by the Tower of London test

The effects of a dual task on gaze behavior examined during a simulated flight in low-time pilots

Cognitive load can impair an operator's ability to optimally scan and process relevant information that is critical to the safe and successful operation of an aircraft. Since the cognitive demands experienced by pilots fluctuate throughout a given flight due to changes in task demands that range from high to low cognitive load, it has become increasingly important to objectively track and quantify these changes accordingly. The analysis of eye movements has been shown to be a promising method to understand information acquisition, processing efficiency, and how these aspects of cognition impact pilot performance. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to assess the impact of a dual task paradigm on low-time pilot flight performance and gaze behavior during two phases of flight with varying levels of cognitive load. Twenty-two licensed pilots (<350 h) completed simulated flight circuits alongside an auditory oddball task under visual flight rules conditions. Self-reported situation awareness scores and auditory task performance revealed the dual task was more demanding than the single tasks. Flight performance and gaze behavior indicated that primary task performance and information processing remained unaffected. These results suggest that the recruited pilots attained a level of skill proficiency that enabled the efficient deployment of cognitive resources to successfully complete the flying task under states of increased cognitive load. Combined with previous research findings, the results suggest that the effect of secondary tasks depends on the type of tasks used (i.e., simple/choice response tasks, memory recall, etc.). The utility of using a dual task and gaze behavior to probe flight proficiency and information processing efficiency throughout training are discussed.

Objective Evaluation of Gaze Location Patterns Using Eye Tracking During Cystoscopy and Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Lesion Detection

Background: The diagnostic accuracy of cystoscopy varies according to the knowledge and experience of the performing physician. In this study, we evaluated the difference in cystoscopic gaze location patterns between medical students and urologists and assessed the differences in their eye movements when simultaneously observing conventional cystoscopic images and images with lesions detected by artificial intelligence (AI). Methodology: Eye-tracking measurements were performed, and observation patterns of participants (24 medical students and 10 urologists) viewing images from routine cystoscopic videos were analyzed. The cystoscopic video was captured preoperatively in a case of initial-onset noninvasive bladder cancer with three low-lying papillary tumors in the posterior, anterior, and neck areas (urothelial carcinoma, high grade, and pTa). The viewpoint coordinates and stop times during observation were obtained using a noncontact type of gaze tracking and gaze measurement system for screen-based gaze tracking. In addition, observation patterns of medical students and urologists during parallel observation of conventional cystoscopic videos and AI-assisted lesion detection videos were compared. Results: Compared with medical students, urologists exhibited a significantly higher degree of stationary gaze entropy when viewing cystoscopic images (p < 0.05), suggesting that urologists with expertise in identifying lesions efficiently observed a broader range of bladder mucosal surfaces on the screen, presumably with the conscious intent of identifying pathologic changes. When the participants observed conventional and AI-assisted lesion detection images side by side, contrary to urologists, medical students showed a higher proportion of attention directed toward AI-detected lesion images. Conclusion: Eye-tracking measurements during cystoscopic image assessment revealed that experienced specialists efficiently observed a wide range of video screens during cystoscopy. In addition, this study revealed how lesion images detected by AI are viewed. Observation patterns of observers' gaze may have implications for assessing and improving proficiency and serving educational purposes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to utilize eye tracking in cystoscopy. University of Tsukuba Hospital, clinical research reference number R02-122.

The effect of ostracism on prospective memory in problem solving

Successfully generating plans, while seemingly straightforward, can be riddled with external and internal interferences. One important possible source of interference is ostracism, which has been consistently shown to induce negative psychological effects in various executive functions. Therefore, understanding the impact of unforeseen ostracism on planning is vital to a broad spectrum of the population, from university students, whose self-esteem partly derives from social acceptance, to healthcare professionals, whose performance oftentimes relies on peer feedback. An individual's ability to navigate through intended actions is an evaluation of their prospective memory (PM), which is traditionally divided into three consecutive phases: (1) planning, (2) recall, and (3) performance. This study primarily focused on the impacts of ostracism via Cyberball simulation on the first two phases of PM in the Tower of London (TOL), an assessment of executive functioning designed specifically to test planning ability during problem solving. Using Bayesian analysis, the study found substantial evidence of there being no difference in planning success between social exclusion and inclusion conditions. However, an individual's sex had significant effects on their planning success at baseline (i.e., inclusion condition). Surprisingly, there was no difference in performance between male participants and female participants when excluded, suggesting that ostracism may play an equalizing role. In addition, male participants both listed more moves at planning and recalled more moves, which led to no difference between sexes in terms of recall percentage. This study underscores a need to consider various factors such as sex and differing perceptions of ostracism when analyzing and addressing problem solving performance.