Chiriac, Elisabeta (2024) How Much Do Our Eyes Give Away? Exploring the Effects of Mind Wandering on Pupil Size in a Near-Threshold Visual Detection Task. Bachelor thesis, Psychology.
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Abstract
It is a well-known fact that the size of our pupils changes in response to external stimuli, such as light or the distance of an object to be perceived. In this sense, we know that our pupils dilate when looking at targets farther away or when exposed to light, whereas when we are in a dark environment or perceiving objects up close, our pupils constrict. However, internal factors such as cognitive or emotional arousal also play a role, as mental states seem to influence pupil size. One example is mind-wandering (MW), as defined by a decrease in task engagement, together with an increase in task unrelated thoughts (TUTs). Using a near-threshold visual detection task across two lighting conditions, one in the dark and one in dim lighting, we aimed to explore the relationship between MW and pupil size, as measured during the detection task, which we hypothesized would be positively correlated. Additionally, we also explored the relationship between pupil size and task engagement (TE). Our analyses did not yield statistically significant results, suggesting that there might not be a strong link between either MW or TE, and pupil size. Possible theoretical explanations for this, as well as limitations of our study are further discussed. Keywords: mind-wandering, pupil size, task engagement, pupillometry, visual perception, mental states
| Item Type: | Thesis (Bachelor) |
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| Supervisor name: | Ruuskanen, V.H.S. |
| Degree programme: | Psychology |
| Differentiation route: | None [Bachelor Psychology] |
| Date Deposited: | 30 Jul 2024 07:22 |
| Last Modified: | 30 Jul 2024 07:22 |
| URI: | http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/4178 |
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