Expectation Discrepancy, Eye Movements, and Attention

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Gernot Horstmann
• Subject Area: General, Cognitive and Mathematical Psychology
• Term: from 2015 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 278632346

The surprise-attention hypothesis proposes that there is a close relationship between expectancy discrepancy (surprise) and attention. Attention can be bound by surprise, leading to long gaze dwell times on surprising stimuli. Importantly, attention can also be attracted to surprising events, given that the surprising feature can be detected preattentively. The proposed research project aims at extending knowledge with regard to two questions: (1) to which degree is the efficiency of overt shifts of attention to a surprising stimulus dependent on the strength of the underlying expectation, and (2) what is the efficiency of different features (e.g., color, movement, shape) in driving the attentional system under conditions of unexpectedness and surprise. Expectations are manipulated through the consistency in the design of stimulus displays, and the discrepancy is realized through the unannounced first presentation of a novel display element. Overt attention is measured with eye-tracking. The project contributes to the important basic research topic of involuntary attention. It has practical implications as well, because there is only scarce research on the perception of completely unexpected stimuli that are common in everyday environments.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Australia
• Co-Investigator: Professor Dr. Werner X. Schneider
• Cooperation Partner: Dr. Stefanie Becker