Eye tracking – a window to cognitive processes

Summary

Understanding what humans look at and how that influences cognition and behavior is a fundamental question in psychology and neuroscience. Eye movements are tightly coupled to cognitive processes such as memory, decision-making, and associative learning. Eye tracking combined with behavioral paradigms allows researchers to isolate eye-movement characteristics that reflect the cognitive process of interest and measure them in the most controlled way possible.  

This white paper describes the value of eye tracking in cognitive psychology and neuroscience research. We showcase how eye tracking can be used to study cognitive functions like attention, memory, decision-making, problem-solving, or associative learning. You will also find example laboratory paradigms in which eye tracking can be used to study selected cognitive functions.