Eye-tracking Research Methodology in Applied Linguistics 3301-JS2939-1ST
Eye tracking is a cutting-edge technology that allows one to examine how a person allocates attention to a task, for example when reading text on a screen or watching a film. This course offers a BA-level introduction to eye tracking with a focus on its application in Applied Linguistics.
It describes what eye tracking technology is, how it works and how it evolved since its first pioneering applications in reading and vision research at the beginning of the 20th century. Students will learn about its theoretical foundations, the basics of vision (cones, rods, the visual field, focal and peripheral view), key eye movements (fixations, saccades) and derived eye-tracking metrics (e.g., fixation duration, saccade amplitude, regression probability), state-of-the-art hardware (lenses, mounts, tracking modes and sampling frequencies) and software (programmes to design experiments and analyse resulting data) provided by different eye tracker manufacturers, experimental design principles, eye-tracking data processing (including drawing Interest Areas (IAs) and Interest periods (IPs), data cleaning, trimming, export) as well as data analysis methods. Integration of eye-tracking technology with other tools will also be touched upon. In a series of practical sessions, students will then apply this knowledge, gaining hands-on experience running experiments, including calibration, troubleshooting and working with human participants.
Thanks to an in-depth assessment of existing empirical studies in Psycholinguistics, Translation, Second Language Acquisition and Cognitive Science, students will also become familiar with different research paradigms, learn to critically appraise publications, and identify common pitfalls. The course will deepen students’ knowledge of quantitative research methodology, broaden their critical abilities, enhance their presentation and summarising skills, encourage problem-solving attitudes, and foster creativity in creating research questions and ideas, ultimately enabling them to best exploit eye-tracking technology in their own projects.
Topics
1. Introduction. What is eye tracking and why should we use it? How an eye tracker works; advantages & disadvantages of the technology; fundamental theoretical tenets.
2. A brief history of eye tracking. The three eras of eye tracking; vision research and the psychology of reading; early techniques and early trackers; modern pupil identification methods.
3. Eye movements and their registration. Fixation and saccades; eye movement identification, definitions, physiology; metrics interpretation in different fields; common eye conditions.
4-5. Designing an eye-tracking experiment. Design types; counterbalancing & randomization; variables (e.g., continuous, categorical, binary); construct operationalization; experimental materials; piloting and design adjustments.
6-7 Eye tracking in Applied Linguistics: methodology and applications. Critical analysis of published studies. Breadth of research in different fields; data triangulation, integration of eye tracking with other tools; experimental validity, reliability, reproducibility; importance of theoretical frameworks and clear hypotheses.
8. Eye tracking in reading research. The perceptual span and the preview benefit in reading; word length, frequency, and predictability effects; different theoretical models of reading.
9. Eye-tracking hardware & software. A closer look at an eye-tracking system: tracker types; sampling frequency vs. sampling rates; accuracy vs. precision; monocular vs. binocular tracking; static vs. dynamic IAs; experiment design & data analysis software.
10. Practical session 1. Lab visit to showcase two systems (SMI & EyeLink); calibration & validation; collecting eye-tracking data in sample experiments with SMI and EyeLink.
11. Practical session 2. Lab visit (continued). EyeLink focus: collecting eye-tracking data in a subtitling study; calibration troubleshooting; visualizing & cleaning data in DV after collection; types of data exports.
12. Eye-tracking data handling. What happens after you have collected eye movement data? Fixation & saccade detection algorithms; data cleaning, exports and preparation for analysis; best practices and ethical considerations in data generation.
13. Summary and data collection in action. Recap of topics covered in the course. Consent forms & data protection; participant sampling, recruitment, characteristics; recording high-quality data; lab sharing; equipment inventories.
14. Presentation of student project ideas. During the course, students will work in groups to design an eye-tracking experiment. They will submit this project in written form as part of the assessment, and present it to everyone in this last class.
Type of course
Mode
Classroom
Prerequisites
Prerequisites (description)
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
Knowledge
The graduate knows and understands:
- K_W02. key terminology, theory and research methods in the discipline of applied linguistics within the domain of English Studies.
- K_W03. methodology and recent developments in eye movement research within English Applied Linguistics.
K_W05. the characteristics of English grammar, syntax, phonology, phonetics, morphology and pragmatics on an advanced level.
K_W07. principles of designing linguistic studies with eye tracking, with special focus on selecting appropriate methods and tools in formulating research questions and testing research hypotheses.
Abilities
The graduate will be able to:
- K_U01. apply advanced terminology and notions pertinent to empirical studies in applied linguistics.
- K_U02. employ the methodology of linguistics within English studies, respecting the ethical norms and copyright law.
- K_U04. apply knowledge obtained during the course to describe a problem and identify means to solve it, thereby completing a project related to eye-tracking implementation.
- K_U11. design their own development.
Social competences
The graduate is ready to:
K_K02. undertake life-long learning and personal development, applying skills and competences to select subjects and projects optimally suiting their personal interests.
K_K03. value responsibility for their own work and respect the work of others, adhering to the professional and ethical norms in eye tracking projects and other activities undertaken in eye tracking research design; consult experts when required.
Minimum education at language level B2+.
Assessment criteria
- participation in class discussions 40%
- participation in lab sessions 20%
- final research project 40% (written submission & class presentation of a proposed eye-tracking study design)
Practical placement
n/a
Bibliography
Carter, B.T. & Luke, S.G. (2020). Best practices in eye tracking research. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 155, pp. 49–62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2020.05.010
Clifton, C. & Staub, A. (2011). Syntactic influences on eye movements during reading. In S.P. Liversedge, I.D. Gilchrist, & S. Everling (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of eye movements. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 895–909.
Coco, M.I. (2021). Eye-tracking: measurements and application. In: Della Sala, S. (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Behavioral Neuroscience, 2nd Edition. Elsevier Science Publishing, pp. 204–214.
Conklin, K., Alotaibi, S., Pellicer-Sánchez, A., & Vilkaitė-Lozdienė, L. (2020). What eye-tracking tells us about reading-only and reading-while-listening in a first and second language. Second Language Research, 36(3), pp. 257–276. https://doi.org/10.1177/0267658320921496
Conklin, K. & Pellicer-Sánchez, A. (2016). Using eye-tracking in applied linguistics and second language acquisition research. Second Language Research, 32(3), pp. 453–467. https://doi.org/10.1177/026765831663740
Elgort, I., Brysbaert, M., Stevens, M., & Van Assche, E. (2018). Contextual word learning during reading in a second language: An eye-movement study. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 40(2), pp. 341–366. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263117000109
Godfroid, A. (2020). Eye tracking in second language acquisition and bilingualism: A research synthesis and methodological guide. Routledge, Abingdon, ISBN: 978-1-138-02467-0.
Godfroid, A., Ahn, J., Choi, I., Ballard, L., Cui, Y., Johnston, S., … & Yoon, H.-J. (2018). Incidental vocabulary learning in a natural reading context: An eye-tracking study. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 21(3), pp. 563–584. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1366728917000219
Godfroid, A. & Hui, B. (2020). Five common pitfalls in eye-tracking research. Second Language Research, 36(3), pp. 277–305. https://doi.org/10.1177/0267658320921218
Hsu, N.S., Kuchinsky, S.E. & Novick, J.M. (2021). Direct impact of cognitive control on sentence processing and comprehension. Language, Cognition and Neuroscience, 36(2), pp. 211–239. https://doi.org/10.1080/23273798.2020.1836379
Kliegl, R., Grabner, E., Rolfs, M. & Engbert, R. (2004). Length, frequency, and predictability effects of words on eye movements in reading. European Journal of Cognitive Psychology, 16(1-2), pp. 262–284. https://doi.org/10.1080/09541440340000213
Liversedge, S.P. & Rayner, K. (2011). Linguistic and cognitive influences on eye movements during reading. In: Liversedge, S.P., Gilchrist, I. & Everling, S. (Eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Eye Movements. Oxford, GB: Oxford University Press, pp. 751–766.
Rayner, K. (1998). Eye Movements in Reading and Information Processing: 20 Years of Research. Psychological Bulletin, 124(3), pp. 372–422. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.124.3.372
Rayner, K. (2009). Eye movements and attention in reading, scene perception, and visual search. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 62(8), pp. 1457–1506. https://doi.org/10.1080/17470210902816461
Schotter, E.R., Angele, B. & Rayner, K. (2012). Parafoveal processing in reading. Attention Perception in Psychophysiology, 74(1), pp. 5–35. doi: 10.3758/s13414-011-0219-2
Starr, M.S. & Rayner, K. (2001). Eye movements during reading: some current controversies. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 5(4), pp. 156–163. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1364-6613(00)01619-3
Wade, N.J. & Tatler, B.W. (2008). Did Javal Measure Eye Movements During Reading? Journal of Eye Movement Research, 2(5), pp. 1–7. https://doi.org/10.16910/jemr.2.5.5
Additional information
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