Student: Tudor Sasaran
Project Mentors: Dr. Aurel Coza – Adidas – ASU Center for Engagement Science
Dr. Marco Santello – SBHSE
Dr. Stephen Helms Tillery – SBHSE
YouTube Link: View the video link below before joining the zoom meeting
Zoom Link: https://asu.zoom.us/j/4610821965
Zoom meeting time: 9- 11am
Abstract
Fatigue is a biological state caused by prolonged periods of demanding cognitive or physiological activity that can impact negatively a number of processes employed by various human activities. Concretely, this state can significantly reduce the performance of various motor and cognitive tasks by means of impairing the resilience, accuracy and timing of critical sensory, motor or cognitive processes. In this study we investigate the relation between eye fatigue induced by prolonged video game playing and game performance. We hypothesized here the existence of a compensatory mechanism triggered by eye fatigue, that has the ability to maintain adequate level of prolonged performance by means of visual information extraction optimization. Gaze parameters, facial expression and electroencephalography were recorded from a number of e-sports gamers playing Counter Strike: Global Offensive for up to three hours. Fatigue induced eye movement degradation was successfully achieved by this task, given that a decrease in angular velocity, fixation time and increase in saccade duration were observed as the time progresses. Emotional response and cognitive factors such as attention and engagement increased at the onset of eye fatigue. Attention and joy are proportional with the fixation duration and are inversely proportional with time; it was also observed a higher stress level correlated with a higher angular velocity of the eye. A significant correlation between the decreased eye movement performance and the increase in various cognitive functions was observed. This points to the existence of a potential compensatory mechanism that is triggered by eye movement fatigue. Future work will have to elucidate whether there is a threshold beyond which the gaze fatigue triggered compensatory mechanisms falter and an elevated performance level can no longer be maintained. A number of practical implications of these findings for various activities that require prolonged visual attention and real time decision making are also discussed.