In this project I explored the possibility that microscopic eye movements, noticeable only with state-of-the-art eye trackers, know as microsaccades, could be informative on where humans are deploying attention! The study has been published on Scientific Report, a Nature journal, in 2020.

The paper provides detailed insights into how attention impacts microsaccades, small involuntary eye movements thought to reflect saccade preparation.

The study shows that when individuals focus their attention on a specific location, the direction of their microsaccades tends to align with the focus of their attention. This effect occurs even in the absence of any direct visual stimuli, indicating a strong link between where we direct our attention and the subtle movements of our eyes.

The findings challenge previous notions that microsaccades are purely random or solely influenced by visual stimuli, suggesting instead that these movements are closely tied to cognitive processes related to attention.

This research not only sheds light on the fundamental mechanisms of visual attention and eye movement but also has potential applications in fields like psychology and neuroscience, offering a new way to understand how we interact with and perceive our environment.