HSE University Holds 10th Summer School ‘Eye-tracking in the Lab and Beyond’
This year, more than 100 students from Russia and abroad took part in the 10th summer neurolinguistic school, ‘Eye-tracking in the Lab and Beyond’. The school is held annually by the HSE Center for Language and Brain. Leading experts spoke about advanced developments and research in the field of video-oculography.
Video-oculography, or eye-tracking, is a modern research method that allows scientists to record eye movements using powerful equipment including special portable glasses equipped with video cameras.
HSE Center for Language and Brain is one of the leading Russian scientific organisations engaged in research within the field of video-oculography. Since opening in 2018, the centre has conducted multiple studies with the participation of children and adults, as well as speakers of rare languages, such as Adyghe and Tuyuk. In addition, the centre’s video-oculographic studies have made a great contribution to the study and development of methods for correcting reading problems in children.
Anastasia Lopukhina, researcher at the University of London, presented an overview of recent studies on eye movement during reading in children. Studies have shown that the transparency of spelling affects the speed at which children learn to read. In addition, Anastasia talked about whether TV subtitles in their native language can help children develop their reading skills faster.
Irina Sekerina, a researcher from New York University, spoke about experiments which register eye movements using a webcam. This new methodology gained particular popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, because it allows scientists to conduct research and collect data online without using expensive equipment. Despite the fact that the methodology has a number of limitations, its accessibility has great potential for conducting psycholinguistic research.
The report of Svetlana Alekseeva, senior researcher at the Institute for Cognitive Studies of St. Petersburg State University, was devoted to the study of eye movements for testing Cyrillic fonts, including the recently developed Cyrillic LexiaD font adapted for people with dyslexia.
On the second day of the school, Anna Izmalkova, research fellow at HSE Centre for Cognition & Decision Making, spoke about eye movement research in the field of visual searches and problem solving strategies. Based on the analysis of eye movement patterns and mistakes made, researchers can conclude what strategy a person uses when learning new words.
Anna Laurinavichyute, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Potsdam, presented a report on traditional methods of analysing and processing video-oculographic data, as well as on new, more accurate and complex approaches that will improve the quality of video-oculographic research.
The report of Soroosh Shalileh, research fellow at the Center for Language and Brain, head of the Vision Modelling Laboratory, was devoted to the diagnosis of dyslexia based on machine learning and eye movement analysis. This diagnostic method has an advantage over traditional screening, which may require a lot of time and the involvement of highly qualified specialists, so its use should lower the age at which dyslexia is detected.
Representatives of ‘Neuroiconics’ made a presentation ‘From simple to complex. Modern solutions in the field of video-oculography in science, education, medicine and neuromarketing’ and demonstrated modern video oculographs.
During the school, Anna Izmalkova and Tatiana Ledneva, research assistant at HSE Centre for Cognition & Decision Making, held a workshop on working within the ‘Eye Movement Modeling Example’ paradigm. This approach is widely used to improve the efficiency of knowledge transfer during interaction between an expert and a novice in an educational context.
Elena Gorbunova, Head of HSE Laboratory for Cognitive Psychology of Digital Interface Users, spoke about the use of video-oculography in UX research. This method can be used to determine patterns of user behavior — for example, to determine a strategy for finding information or to identify what exactly the user focuses on while working with a particular interface.
‘It is important for us that the participants of the school were able to learn more about the areas of work of the Center for Language and Brain and talk about their research in the field of video-oculography. The great interest in this area confirms its relevance, and together we will make many more important discoveries,’ said Olga Dragoy, director of the Center for Language and Brain.
The school was held with the support of the HSE Human Capital Multidisciplinary Research Centre.
See also:
‘Scientists Work to Make This World a Better Place’
Federico Gallo is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Cognition and Decision Making of the HSE Institute for Cognitive Research. In 2023, he won the Award for Special Achievements in Career and Public Life Among Foreign Alumni of HSE University. In this interview, Federico discusses how he entered science and why he chose to stay, and shares a secret to effective protection against cognitive decline in old age.
From Sequencing to Constructing a Cardio Panel: Summer School in Cardiogenetics
From August 19 to 29, the Continuing Professional Development Centre of the HSE Faculty of Computer Science hosted the summer school 'Cardiogenetics: From Sequencing to Constructing a Cardio Panel,' organised in collaboration with the Russian Academy of Sciences' Institute of Analytical Instrumentation (IAI) and Institute of Spectroscopy (ISAN), and the Syntol company. The summer school was conducted within the framework of the Federal Research Programme for Genetic Technologies Development for 2019–2027 (Project 15.IP.21.0004).
'Science Is Akin to Creativity, as It Requires Constantly Generating Ideas'
Olga Buivolova investigates post-stroke language impairments and aims to ensure that scientific breakthroughs reach those who need them. In this interview with the HSE Young Scientists project, she spoke about the unique Russian Aphasia Test and helping people with aphasia, and about her place of power in Skhodnensky district.
Neuroscientists from HSE University Learn to Predict Human Behaviour by Their Facial Expressions
Researchers at the Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience at HSE University are using automatic emotion recognition technologies to study charitable behaviour. In an experiment, scientists presented 45 participants with photographs of dogs in need and invited them to make donations to support these animals. Emotional reactions to the images were determined through facial activity using the FaceReader program. It turned out that the stronger the participants felt sadness and anger, the more money they were willing to donate to charity funds, regardless of their personal financial well-being. The study was published in the journal Heliyon.
'These Are Unforgettable Impressions, I Will Cherish Them Forever'
HSE St Petersburg International Summer School is in full swing—right now, international students from 12 countries are attending lectures and enjoying the cultural programme. The HSE News Service talked to the participants about their most vivid impressions.
Spelling Sensitivity in Russian Speakers Develops by Early Adolescence
Scientists at the RAS Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology and HSE University have uncovered how the foundations of literacy develop in the brain. To achieve this, they compared error recognition processes across three age groups: children aged 8 to 10, early adolescents aged 11 to 14, and adults. The experiment revealed that a child's sensitivity to spelling errors first emerges in primary school and continues to develop well into the teenage years, at least until age 14. Before that age, children are less adept at recognising misspelled words compared to older teenagers and adults. The study findings have beenpublished in Scientific Reports .
HSE University-St Petersburg Hosts Students from 12 Countries at the International Summer School
On July 10, HSE University-St Petersburg launched the International Summer School—a series of classes for students from India, Vietnam, the Republic of Korea and other countries. Foreign guests are getting to know the university, attending lectures in six fields of study, and enjoying an inspiring cultural programme.
Meditation Can Cause Increased Tension in the Body
Researchers at the HSE Centre for Bioelectric Interfaces have studied how physiological parameters change in individuals who start practicing meditation. It turns out that when novices learn meditation, they do not experience relaxation but tend towards increased physical tension instead. This may be the reason why many beginners give up on practicing meditation. The study findings have been published in Scientific Reports.
The XI Russian-Chinese Summer School on International Relations Kicks Off at HSE University
On July 1, 2024, the opening ceremony of the XI International Russian-Chinese Summer School on International Relations, titled ‘Partnership and Cooperation in the New World Order,’ took place. The event was organised by the HSE Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs in collaboration with HSE Centre for Comprehensive European and International Studies (CCEIS). Graduate and postgraduate students from various countries have come to Moscow to study international relations and collectively envision a new world order.
Processing Temporal Information Requires Brain Activation
HSE scientists used magnetoencephalography and magnetic resonance imaging to study how people store and process temporal and spatial information in their working memory. The experiment has demonstrated that dealing with temporal information is more challenging for the brain than handling spatial information. The brain expends more resources when processing temporal data and needs to employ additional coding using 'spatial' cues. The paper has been published in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience.