Performance and Stress Detection While Being Constantly Aware of Time Using Eye-Tracking Data

We explored how constant awareness of time (via an on-screen timer) affects performance and stress levels during a time-bound visual task. The task was a “spot-the-difference” game, which relies on eye movements and visual attention, simulating real-world cognitive load under time pressure.

• Participants:
  10 students were divided into two groups- one exposed to a visible timer and the other not.
• Task:
  Spot-the-difference game using pairs of images displayed for 20 seconds.
• Eye Tracking:
  Used the Tobii Eye Tracker 4C to collect gaze data, analyzed via the I-DT algorithm to extract fixations and saccades.
• Stress & amp; Performance Measurement:
  Post-task questionnaires and analysis of eye-tracking data (fixation counts, transitions, and scanpaths).
• Analysis Tools:
  Data cleaning, algorithm tuning, and visualizations to interpret behavioral responses and stress levels.

• Stress:
  Participants with a visible timer reported higher stress levels for most images.
• Performance:
  No statistically significant difference in the number of differences found; however, participants with the timer tended to perform slightly worse on some images.
• Gaze Behavior:
  The timer group showed quicker, more erratic fixations early on—indicating rushed scanning—while the no-timer group showed more stable and exploratory gaze behavior.
• Fixation Transitions:
  More transitions were observed in the no-timer group, implying more relaxed and thorough exploration.