Eye, I: scientists examine the link between gaze and personality

Researchers have used machine learning algorithms to demonstrate a link between personality and eye movements.

A team of Australian and German scientists tracked the gaze of 42 study participants as they undertook everyday tasks around a university campus before assessing their personality traits using established questionnaires.

They found that eye movements revealed whether the study participants were neurotic, extroverted, agreeable or conscientious.

Study author, Dr Tobias Loetscher, of the University of South Australia, said the findings held potential for improving human-machine interactions.

“People are always looking for improved, personalised services. However, today’s robots and computers are not socially aware, so they cannot adapt to non-verbal clues,” he observed.

“This research provides opportunities to develop robots and computers so that they can become more natural and better at interpreting human social signals,” Dr Loetscher added.

The research was published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.