Journal of Ophthalmic and Vision Research

Published date: Aug 09 2022

Journal Title: Journal of Ophthalmic and Vision Research

Issue title: July–Sep 2022, Volume 17, Issue 3

Pages: 397 - 404

DOI: 10.18502/jovr.v17i3.11578

Marzieh Salehi FadardiDepartment of Optometry & Vision Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

Javad Salehi FadardiDepartment of Psychology, Ferdowsi University, Mashhad, Iran

Monireh Mahjoobmahjoob_opt@yahoo.comHealth Promotion Research Center, Department of Optometry, Rehabilitation Faculty, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran

Hassan DoostiDepartment of Statistics, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia

Purpose: The evidence on the linear relationship between cognitive load, saccade, fixation, and task performance was uncertain. We tested pathway models for degraded task performance resulting from changes in saccadic and post-saccadic fixation under cognitive load.

Methods: Participants’ (n = 38) eye movements were recorded using a post-saccadic discrimination task with and without arithmetic operations to impose cognitive load, validated through recording heart rate variability and subjective measurement.

Results: Results showed that cognitive load led to longer latencies of saccade and fixation; more inaccurate responses and fewer secondary saccades (P < 0.001). Longer saccade latencies influenced task performance indirectly via increases in fixation latency, therefore, longer reaction times and higher response errors were observed due to limited fixation duration on desired target.

Conclusion: We suggest that latency and duration of fixation indicate efficiency of information processing and can predict the speed and accuracy of task performance under cognitive load.

Keywords: Eye Movement, Saccades, Task Performance

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