The analysis of frequency domain characteristics of emotional images in eye-tracking experiment

Abstract

Although recently eye-tracking method has been introduced into behavioral experiments based on dot-probe paradigm, some characteristics in eye-tracking data do not draw as much attention as traditional characteristics like reaction time. It is also necessary to associate eye-tracking data to characteristics of images shown in experiments. In this research, new variables, such as fixation length, times of fixation and times of eye movement, in eye-tracking data were extracted from a behavioral experiment based on dot probe paradigm. They were analyzed and compared to traditional reaction time. After the analysis of positive and negative scenery images, parameters such as hue frequency spectrum PAR (Peak to Average Ratio) were extracted and showed difference between negative and positive images. These parameters of emotional images could discriminate scenery images according to their emotions in an SVM classifier well. Besides, it was found that images’ hue frequency spectrum PAR is obviously relevant to eye-tracking statistics. When the dot was on the negative side, negative images’ hue frequency spectrum PAR and horizontal eye-jumps confirmed to hyperbolic distribution, while that of positive images was linear with horizontal eye-jumps. The result could help to explain the mechanism of human’s attention and boost the study in computer vision.