In the Eyes of the Beholder: In the Eyes of the Beholder: The Application of Eye-The Application of Eye-

tracking Methodology to tracking Methodology to Sexuality ResearchSexuality Research

Amy D. LykinsAmy D. LykinsMarta MeanaMarta Meana

University of Nevada, Las VegasUniversity of Nevada, Las VegasIASR 2005IASR 2005

Introduction to Eye-tracking Introduction to Eye-tracking MethodologyMethodology

• Why we did the studyWhy we did the study

• What is eye-tracking?What is eye-tracking?

• Scene perceptionScene perception

How Eye-trackers WorkHow Eye-trackers Work

Purpose of the Current Purpose of the Current StudyStudy

• Are erotic images visually processed Are erotic images visually processed differently than non-erotic images?differently than non-erotic images?

• HypothesesHypotheses• Condition (erotic, non-erotic) X Scene Condition (erotic, non-erotic) X Scene

region (face, body, context) interactionregion (face, body, context) interaction• No main effect for ConditionNo main effect for Condition

MethodsMethods

• ParticipantsParticipants• 20 men, 20 women, 20 men, 20 women,

college-agecollege-age• StimuliStimuli

• erotic and matched erotic and matched non-erotic imagesnon-erotic images

• ProcedureProcedure• 15 second exposure 15 second exposure

to 5 erotic, 5 non-to 5 erotic, 5 non-erotic imageserotic images

Measures of InterestMeasures of Interest

• Total Number of Total Number of FixationsFixations

• First Gaze First Gaze Duration (ms)Duration (ms)

• Total Time (ms)Total Time (ms)

Results—Total Number of Results—Total Number of FixationsFixations

• Interaction Interaction significantsignificant

• Both Both ♂♂ and ♀ looked at and ♀ looked at body more times in erotic body more times in erotic than non-erotic conditionthan non-erotic condition

• ♂ ♂ looked at face more in looked at face more in non-erotic conditionnon-erotic condition

• ♀ ♀ looked at context more looked at context more in non-erotic conditionin non-erotic condition

0

5

10

15

20

25

Non-erotic Erotic

Condition

Nu

mb

er o

f F

ixat

ion

s

Face

Body

Context

0

5

10

15

20

25

Non-erotic Erotic

Condition

Nu

mb

er o

f F

ixat

ion

s

Face

Body

Context

Male Participants

Female Participants

Results—First Gaze Results—First Gaze DurationDuration

• Interaction not Interaction not significantsignificant

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

Non-erotic Erotic

Condition

Fir

st G

aze

Du

rati

on

(m

s)

Face

Body

Context

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

Non-erotic Erotic

Condition

Fir

st G

aze

Du

rati

on

(m

s)

Face

Body

Context

Male Participants

Female Participants

Results—Total TimeResults—Total Time

• Interaction Interaction significantsignificant

• Both Both ♂♂ and ♀ looked at and ♀ looked at body more in erotic than body more in erotic than non-erotic conditionnon-erotic condition

• ♂ ♂ looked at face more in looked at face more in non-erotic conditionnon-erotic condition

• ♀ ♀ looked at context more looked at context more in non-erotic conditionin non-erotic condition

Male Participants

Female Participants

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

Non-erotic Erotic

Condition

To

tal T

ime

(ms)

Face

Body

Context

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

Non-erotic Erotic

Condition

To

tal T

ime

(ms)

Face

Body

Context

ConclusionsConclusions

• Do people attend to erotic pictures Do people attend to erotic pictures differently than non-erotic pictures?differently than non-erotic pictures?

YES!YES!• Why not first gaze duration?Why not first gaze duration?• Eye-tracking can capture these Eye-tracking can capture these

differences in a quantitative, valid differences in a quantitative, valid mannermanner

Future ApplicationsFuture Applications

• Gender differencesGender differences• Sexual arousalSexual arousal• Inner cognitions and appraisalsInner cognitions and appraisals• Distractability, memoryDistractability, memory• Reading of erotic storiesReading of erotic stories• Test on clinical populationsTest on clinical populations