Abstract

N. Noori, L. Itti, Eye-Movement Signatures of Abstract Mental Tasks, In: Proc. European Conference on Cognitive Science (EuroCogSci 2011), (B. Kokinov, A. Karmiloff-Smith, N. J. Nersessian Ed.), pp. 110:1-110:6, May 2011. (Cited by 2)

Abstract: Brain regions with visual-spatial characteristics are known to be recruited in mental tasks featuring algorithmic information processing with symbolic concepts. Yet, exactly how they con- tribute to such processing remains an open question. Here we propose a framework for manipulation of items in mem- ory, which relies on registering memory items in a spatially- organized short-term memory store. Switching executive at- tention to memory items that need processing may then be embodied through shifting spatial attention towards those reg- istry locations. We studied gaze shifts during memory tasks as a proxy for shifts in spatial attention. Analysis of gaze shifts during sorting semi-random sequences of five decimal digits indicates that sorting in memory elicits gaze shifts that correlate with sorting procedure. Our proposal establishes a functional relationship between those general-purpose produc- tion mechanisms that support algorithmic memory tasks with amodal symbolic information and modal systems for percep- tion and action.

Themes: Human Eye-Tracking Research, Human Psychophysics