Work

Understanding the Relationship Between Objective Attention and Subjective Perception Through Eye Tracking Methodologies of Blind Spots

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT This review synthesizes recent research on the physiological blind spot as a model for studying the interplay between attention, perception, and conscious visual experience. Scanning studies from 1996 to 2025, the review focuses on eye‐tracking methodologies, predictive coding, clinical translation, and individual variability. Fifteen studies were grouped thematically (oculomotor adaptation, clinical application, behavioral insights, technology, blind spot mapping). Findings indicate attention critically modulates blind spot filling‐in: diffused attention enhances perceptual completion, while focal attention can disrupt it. Advances in high‐resolution eye‐tracking and computational models reveal that this perceptual completion is highly spatially precise and sensitive to context. Clinical applications include quantifying compensatory gaze strategies and evaluating training interventions for visual field loss. However, the field remains limited by methodological heterogeneity, partial ecological validity, and a lack of research on individual differences in adaptation. Overall, advanced eye tracking strengthens our understanding of the attention‐perception relationship at the blind spot and highlights the value of predictive coding frameworks and real‐world paradigms for future research.

Source: Journal of Sensory Studies

DOI: 10.1111/joss.70110

Authors: Alessandro Bortolotti, Riccardo Palumbo

Institution: University of Chieti-Pescara

Language: English

Topic: Visual perception and processing mechanisms

Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,030