title: Temporal Structure of Human Gaze Dynamics Is Invariant During Free Viewing.
abstract: We investigate the dynamic structure of human gaze and present an experimental study of the frequency components of the change in gaze position over time during free viewing of computer-generated fractal images. We show that changes in gaze position are scale-invariant in time with statistical properties that are characteristic of a random walk process. We quantify and track changes in the temporal structure using a well-defined scaling parameter called the Hurst exponent, H. We find H is robust regardless of the spatial complexity generated by the fractal images. In addition, we find the Hurst exponent is invariant across all participants, including those with distinct changes to higher order visual processes due to neural degeneration. The value we find for H of 0.57 shows that the gaze dynamics during free viewing of fractal images are consistent with a random walk process with persistent movements. Our research suggests the human visual system may have a common strategy that drives the dynamics of human gaze during exploration.
authors.affiliation: Keck Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, California, 94143-044, United States of America; Physics Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California, 93407, United States of America.
authors.forename: Colleen A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Marlow
authors.affiliation: Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, California, 94143-044, United States of America.
authors.forename: Indre V
authors.initials: IV
authors.lastname: Viskontas
authors.affiliation: Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, California, 94143-044, United States of America.
authors.forename: Alisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matlin
authors.affiliation: Physics Department, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, 97403-1274, United States of America.
authors.forename: Cooper
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Boydston
authors.affiliation: Memory and Aging Center, University of California, San Francisco, California, 94143-044, United States of America.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boxer
authors.affiliation: Physics Department, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, 97403-1274, United States of America.
authors.forename: Richard P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D019295:Computational Biology / Q000379:methods; D005133:Eye Movements; D017709:Fractals; D006801:Humans; D052580:Muscle Stretching Exercises; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015835:Ocular Motility Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*; D014792:Visual Acuity; D055815:Young Adult