POEM · Perceptual Organization and Eye Movements

The process by which the brain transforms visual input into coherent objects is called perceptual organization. State-of-art research in this domain does not offer much insight into the bridge between the realm of perceptual organization and information acquired by eye movements, which consist of fixations that are discrete and serial. The project proposed here, “POEM”, is designed to bridge this research gap by investigating the connection between Perceptual Organization (PO) and Eye Movements (EM) at three levels of processing: explicit (ePOEM), implicit (iPOEM) and functional (fPOEM).Regarding the methodology POEM will record the eye-movement pattern while the participants perform tasks based on perceptual organization of the carefully constructed stimuli shown in experimental settings in the lab. The information gathered will be analyzed by correlation analyses followed by modelling of the behavioural and eye-movement data. POEM will result in- information metrics at fixation points that are used by our visual system for PO,- an implicit measure for the strength of grouping factors based on EM data and- the description of the relationship between spatial aesthetics and the ease of navigation of EM to various “preferred” positions in a visual display.POEM is interdisciplinary- it deals with important open issues in perceptual psychology by using tools of the engineering domain. Additionally, its outcome will have tremendous interdisciplinary impact, especially in the domains of user-interface design, data-visualization and consumer psychology. Networking within POEM illustrates how the researcher will integrate, intensify and expand her collaborations with the USA and within the EU advancing the EU’s scientific excellence as well as her research career. In a nutshell, POEM comprises knowledge transfer into the EU, the introduction of a novel research approach and the long-term integration of an international renowned researcher in perceptual science.