The hand grasps the center, while the eyes saccade to the top of novel objects

Abstract

In the present study, we investigated whether indenting the sides of novel objects (e.g., product packaging) would influence where people grasp, and hence focus their gaze, under the assumption that gaze precedes grasping. In Experiment 1, the participants grasped a selection of custom-made objects designed to resemble typical packaging forms with an indentation in the upper, middle, or lower part. In Experiment 2, eye movements were recorded while the participants viewed differently-sized (small, medium, and large) objects with the same three indentation positions tested in Experiment 1, together with a control object lacking any indentation. The results revealed that irrespective of the location of the indentation, the participants tended to grasp the mid-region of the object, with their index finger always positioned slightly above its midpoint. Importantly, the first visual fixation tended to fall in the cap region of the novel object. The participants also fixated for longer in this region. Furthermore, participants saccaded more often, as well saccading more rapidly when directing their gaze to the upper region of the objects that they were required to inspect visually. Taken together, these results therefore suggest that different spatial locations on target objects are of interest to our eyes and hands.

The Active Side of Stereopsis: Fixation Strategy and Adaptation to Natural Environments

“…A fixating observer is behaviorally attracted by significant points such as the objects he is manipulating24, directing his gaze toward both the object center of mass39 and its upper region4041. Accordingly, the central field of view experiences small disparities (see Fig.…”

“…Our results suggest a general tendency of active exploratory behavior, which is not simply to fixate the closest points of a 3D scene 21 22 23 . A fixating observer is behaviorally attracted by significant points such as the objects he is manipulating 24 , directing his gaze toward both the object center of mass 39 and its upper region 40 41 . Accordingly, the central field of view experiences small disparities (see Fig.…”

Neuroscience-Inspired Design: From Academic Neuromarketing to Commercially Relevant Research

“…As Ariely and Berns (2010) note, “If neuromarketing is to compete with conventional marketing approaches on the basis of efficiency,” in the years ahead “then the costs of labour and overheads will have to be reduced.” Elsewhere, they state that, “It is not yet clear whether neuroimaging provides better data [than] other marketing methods” (p. 287). The same basic approach can be used no matter whether we are dealing with the neuroscience-inspired design of multisensory warning signals for car drivers (Ho & Spence, 2009; Spence, 2012b), trying to advise companies on the future design of their product packaging (Juravle et al, 2015; Parise & Spence, 2012; Spence & Zampini, 2007), or considering the design of more effective/healthy foods (Spence et al, 2015).…”

“…Much more promising when it comes to neurodesign is the use of the various cognitive-neuroscience inspired approaches (what Senior et al, 2007, call “neuro” techniques). These include everything from the growing use of eye tracking (e.g., Blazquez, Velasco, Salgado-Montejo, & Spence, 2015; Clement, 2007; Gofman, Moskowitz, Fyrbjork, Moskowitz, & Mets, 2009; Juravle, Velasco, Salgado-Montejo, & Spence, 2015; Piqueras-Fiszman, Velasco, Salgado-Montejo, & Spence, 2013; Wedel & Pieters, 2007) through to the latest in behavioral tasks such as modified versions of the Implicit Association Test (e.g., Maison, Greenwald, & Bruin, 2004; Parise & Spence, 2012). The suggestion from those working in the field is that such neuroscience-inspired implicit behavioral testing approaches effectively overcome many of the limitations associated with subjective report (Mast & Zaltman, 2005).…”

“…After all, it can sometimes be difficult to know quite how to interpret eye-fixation data when this response measure is presented in isolation—that is, is a shorter or longer fixation duration desirable? However, when eye-tracking data are combined with the results of other measures, such as grasping data (see Juravle et al, 2015), or top-of-mind techniques, such as Word Analysis (Piqueras-Fiszman et al, 2013), then they can help packaging and graphic designers to think differently about what they are trying to achieve and which of a range of different design alternatives best meets those objectives (or a given design brief).…”