part ii physiology, development and neuroscience - Department of ...

Eye Movements
This practical is associated with Module N3, and preference will be given to students who
are taking it:
In this class we look at the saccades made while reading, a highly skilled saccadic performance
that lends itself to study in the laboratory. We will be trying to answer two kinds of problem, one
low-level, the other high. To what extent the saccades made in reading are determined by
detailed aspects of the visual stimuli provided by the letters? Can we for example produce
objective evidence that some fonts are easier to read than others, or how big the text should be
for optimum reading? ‘Higher’ questions include finding out to what extent the meaning of the
text influences the size and timing of the saccades, and how they are affected by any responses
that are to be made to it (as for example in reading music).
This practical is associated with Module N6, and preference will be given to students who
are taking it:
This practical is an in-depth investigation of the mechanisms underlying decision. Deciding
where to look is the commonest decision any of us makes (some three decisions a second on
average!); since saccades can be measured non-invasively and robustly, over the last decade
measurements of saccades using carefully-designed experimental protocols has provided a
great deal of information about decision mechanisms in general. In this class we will see how a
series of systematic experiments can establish some fundamental facts about these
mechanisms, using automated computer-based techniques of data-acquisition and analysis to
test hypotheses concerning the neural mechanisms initiating visual saccades.
Prof. Roger Carpenter
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