Although eye-trackers have been around since the late 1800s, their use in research did not begin to increase until the 1970s, when scientists were no longer required to build their own eye-tracking systems. These video-based systems consist of an infrared illuminator as well as an eye video camera. The recording software is then able to estimate where a participant is looking and for how long. While many sociolinguistic studies have focused on the production of variation, eye tracking may shed light on perception and comprehension, as there is a reliable link between eye movements (fixations and saccades) and attention during speech perception, because listeners tend to fixate task-relevant objects while they are mentioned. This linking hypothesis is particularly relevant within the Visual World Paradigm. However, there are other research paradigms that are commonly used in eye tracking research.
This three-hour workshop for doctoral and advanced master’s students will (1) provide an introduction to eye tracking research in general, (2) explain how it has been or could be used in sociolinguistic research, and (3) provide hands-on experience. In addition, students who are currently planning or conducting an eye tracking experiment will receive some practical advice.
To gear the workshop towards your experience and research needs, we kindly ask you to fill out a quick survey by 28 Feb 2022: shorturl.at/gpuU3
