Setting Their Sights on Research

Two students in the Psychology, B.S. program have received research funding from Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology, in support of research projects that will explore the connection between eye movement and perception.

Eye tracking, the practice of measuring and recording the movements and positions of a person’s eyes, offers valuable insight into how people observe and interact with their environments. Analyzing these movements can help researchers identify patterns in where people direct their attention, such as what they view first, how long they look at certain areas, and how their focus is affected.

Mentored by Assistant Professor of Psychology and Counseling Robert Alexander, Ph.D., undergraduate students Amy Patel and Ola Abozid will help to further his laboratory’s research into how the eyes gather visual information and process the world around us.

^{Amy Patel}

Patel, an aspiring clinical psychologist, has received $3,125 in support of a project titled “Examining the Effects of Focused Meditation on Visual Perception.” The study seeks to explain why individuals frequently report visual changes, such as objects blurring togethering, during meditation. Patel will explore whether these perceived experiences are explained by changes in a person’s eye movement.

With the partial support of a $1,625 grant, Abozid, who aims to pursue a future career as a therapist, will travel to Vienna, Austria, and collect data from radiologists, building on her earlier Psi Chi-funded study “Search Cues in Radiology.” The study used an eye tracker to understand how AI cues impact radiologists’ ability to precisely analyze imaging tests.

^{Ola Abozid}

Founded in 1929, Psi Chi is an international organization of professionals, scientists, faculty, students, and alumni whose mission is to recognize and promote excellence in the science and application of psychology. The organization offers more than $400,000 in awards, grants, stipends, and scholarships every year.