GazeGate: A new gaze-based diagnostics approach to personality traits

Verantwortlich

Prof. Dr. Dr. Kai Kasper kkaspar[uk]uni-koeln.de

Weiter verantwortlich

Zeitraum

01.11.2014-01.09.2016

Förderung

Beschreibung

For decades, diagnostics of individual personality traits has been a key element in psychological research. Most methods for measuring personality traits are based on self-reports characterized by several methodological and practical constraints – such as a general susceptibility for biased reports under certain circumstances (for example when testing job candidates), the necessary ability to read and write, the cognitive capacities to understand and correctly respond to the content of test items, as well as serious difficulties in translating test items into other languages and creating relatively culture-fair test content. Given these problems, researchers aim to find new avenues to measure personality traits. The present project pursued a completely new way by applying eye-tracking technology in the context of personality diagnostics. During the project, we scrutinized how individual gaze behaviour can be used as a tool for the diagnostics of non-clinical personality traits. In this sense, eyes are assumed to be a potential gate to personality. The project delivered first insights into specific personality-attention relationships and uncovered some constraints of the new approach.

Description

For decades, diagnostics of individual personality traits has been a key element in psychological research. Most methods for measuring personality traits are based on self-reports characterized by several methodological and practical constraints – such as a general susceptibility for biased reports under certain circumstances (for example when testing job candidates), the necessary ability to read and write, the cognitive capacities to understand and correctly respond to the content of test items, as well as serious difficulties in translating test items into other languages and creating relatively culture-fair test content. Given these problems, researchers aim to find new avenues to measure personality traits. The present project pursued a completely new way by applying eye-tracking technology in the context of personality diagnostics. During the project, we scrutinized how individual gaze behaviour can be used as a tool for the diagnostics of non-clinical personality traits. In this sense, eyes are assumed to be a potential gate to personality. The project delivered first insights into specific personality-attention relationships and uncovered some constraints of the new approach.