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The Pupil as Marker of Cognitive Processes

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Computational and Cognitive Neuroscience of Vision

Part of the book series: Cognitive Science and Technology ((CSAT))

Abstract

Of all peripheral measures of (neuro-)physiological activity, pupil size is probably the easiest to access. Far beyond its well-known reaction to light incident on the eye, pupil size is a rich marker of many cognitive processes. Since the turn of the millennium, the increasing availability of video-based eyetracking devices has led to a renaissance of pupillometry as research technique in the cognitive neurosciences. The chapter reviews recent developments in this field. How do emotional and cognitive factors, attention and memory, influence pupil size? What is the role of the pupil in social interactions and which applications of pupillometry are currently envisioned? How can pupillometry be combined with other techniques? And what are the limits, pitfalls and caveats when using the pupil as marker of cognitive processes?

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  1. Institut für Physik, Technische Universität Chemnitz, Chemnitz, Germany

    Wolfgang Einhäuser

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  1. Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

    Qi Zhao

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Einhäuser, W. (2017). The Pupil as Marker of Cognitive Processes. In: Zhao, Q. (eds) Computational and Cognitive Neuroscience of Vision. Cognitive Science and Technology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0213-7_7

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