System and method for calibrating and normalizing eye data in emotional testing

Abstract

A system and method is provided for calibrating and normalizing eye data of one or more subjects prior to and/or during emotional testing of the subjects. In particular, initially performing one or more calibration or normalization operations prior to an emotional test of a subject may result in accurate evaluations of emotional responses based on measurements of eye data. Additionally, further calibration or normalization performed during the emotional test may be used to refine the initial calibration or normalization, further increasing the accuracy of the evaluated emotional responses.

1 . A computer-implemented system for emotional testing of subjects based on measurement and processing of eye data, including an emotion response tool for determining subjects' emotional responses to test stimuli based at least on measurement and processing of eye data, the system comprising at least one processing device configured to:
 use a calibration module to induce a desired emotional state in a subject prior to performing emotional testing on the subject using test stimuli;   use a baseline level determination module to determine and record an emotional baseline level of the subject prior to performing the emotional testing;   use a light intensity calibration module to present to the subject stimuli of different light intensity values and measure light reflex data at each light intensity value to determine the subject's ocular response to each light intensity, the determined ocular response including a change in pupil dilation from one intensity value to another intensity value and a rate of the change in the pupil dilation from one intensity value to another intensity value; and   use an interslide calibration module to condition the subject's eyes between test stimuli, the interslide calibration module configured to present an interslide having a predetermined light intensity based on a light intensity of subsequent test stimuli, wherein the subject's eyes can be conditioned to the predetermined light intensity so that when the subsequent test stimuli are presented, any ocular response thereto will be based primarily upon the subject's emotional response to the test stimuli as opposed a change in light intensity.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , the at least one processing device further configured to use a gaze calibration module to collect and analyze gaze data to determine a validity of the collected gaze data. 
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the gaze calibration module is configured to repeat the collecting and analyzing, or take another action, when the collected gaze data is determined to be invalid. 
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the light intensity calibration module is configured to present a first visual stimulus having a first light intensity value, a second visual stimulus having a second light intensity value, a third visual stimulus having the first light intensity value, and a fourth visual stimulus having a third light intensity value. 
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the first light intensity value is a zero intensity value corresponding to a black display, the second light intensity value is a half intensity value corresponding to a grey display, and the third light intensity value is a full intensity value corresponding to a white display. 
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 4 , further comprising an eye tracking device configured to measure eye data before, during, and/or after presentation of each visual stimulus. 
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the baseline level determination module is configured to induce a desired emotional baseline level in the subject prior to performing the emotional testing. 
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a test stimuli presentation module configured to present the test stimuli to the subject, an eye tracking device configured to measure eye data during presentation of each of the test stimuli, and the emotion response tool, which includes at least one module for processing the measured eye data to determine an emotional response of the subject to each of the presented test stimuli. 
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the emotion response tool can use information relating to the emotional baseline level for individual subjects to determine the subjects' emotional responses. 
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the emotion response tool can use light reflex information for individual subjects to determine the subjects' emotional responses. 
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the emotion response tool can use eye data measured during various calibration phases to normalize results of the emotional testing. 
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the emotion response tool comprises a software application, operable to execute on the processing device, comprising one or more software modules enabling the processing device to perform functions including calibration, stimuli presentation, data collection, and data analysis. 
   
   
       13 . A computer-implemented method for emotional testing of subjects based on measurement and processing of eye data, wherein an emotion response tool is used to determine subjects' emotional responses to test stimuli based at least on measurement and processing of eye data, the method comprising:
 inducing a desired emotional state in a subject prior to performing emotional testing on the subject using test stimuli;   determining and recording an emotional baseline level of the subject prior to performing the emotional testing;   presenting to the subject stimuli of different light intensity values and measure light reflex data at each light intensity value to determine the subject's ocular response to each light intensity, the determined ocular response including a change in pupil dilation from one intensity value to another intensity value and a rate of the change in the pupil dilation from one intensity value to another intensity value; and   conditioning the subject's eyes between test stimuli, the interslide calibration module configured to present an interslide having a predetermined light intensity based on a light intensity of subsequent test stimuli, wherein the subject's eyes can be conditioned to the predetermined light intensity so that when the subsequent test stimuli are presented, any ocular response thereto will be based primarily upon the subject's emotional response to the test stimuli as opposed a change in light intensity.   
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising collecting and analyzing gaze data to determine a validity of the collected gaze data. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising repeating the collecting and analyzing, or taking another action, when the collected gaze data is determined to be invalid. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein presenting to the subject stimuli of different light intensity values includes presenting a first visual stimulus having a first light intensity value, a second visual stimulus having a second light intensity value, a third visual stimulus having the first light intensity value, and a fourth visual stimulus having a third light intensity value. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first light intensity value is a zero intensity value corresponding to a black display, the second light intensity value is a half intensity value corresponding to a grey display, and the third light intensity value is a full intensity value corresponding to a white display. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising measuring eye data before, during, and/or after presentation of each visual stimulus. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising inducing a desired emotional baseline level in the subject prior to performing the emotional testing. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 presenting the test stimuli to the subject;   measuring eye data during presentation of each of the test stimuli; and   processing the measured eye data using the emotion response tool to determine an emotional response of the subject to each of the presented test stimuli.   
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the emotion response tool can use information relating to the emotional baseline level for individual subjects to determine the subjects' emotional responses. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the emotion response tool can use light reflex information for individual subjects to determine the subjects' emotional responses. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the emotion response tool can use eye data measured during various calibration phases to normalize results of the emotional testing. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the emotion response tool comprises a software application, operable to execute on a processing device, comprising one or more software modules enabling the processing device to perform functions including calibration, stimuli presentation, data collection, and data analysis. 
   
   
       25 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the test stimuli includes an aroma. 
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the test stimuli includes an aroma.