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eye dominance study and its relation to FPS aiming
posted in Off Topic
1
#1
0 Frags +

I started thinking about how the relationship between your dominant and your non dominant eye might influence your aim in FPS games so I looked up a study and found some interesting points. Here's the most relevant part of the conclusion.

"Our main finding is that ocular dominance reverses as a function of ocular dominance, with some modulation determined by the hand used. The functional significance of these results seems to be straightforward. Although the binocular field of view is ≈100° when looking straight ahead, as the eyes rotate peripherally, the monocular field of the inward turning eye is increasingly occluded (largely by the nose) by up to 50%. Therefore, it makes sense for the eye–hand coordination system to choose the eye with best overall field of view. At the same time, in most subjects this gating function is shifted slightly to the left or right (Fig. 2a), most likely to avoid dominance ‘flickering’ at the commonplace central range (i.e. the range tested in previous studies). This strategy allows for preferential gating of visual input from the eye with the best field of view, while avoiding ambiguity at the most common central gaze position."

Basically, the main finding was that people's dominant eye shifts based on what degree they're looking at. They also stated that the switch in dominance is pretty abrupt so Its pretty easy to see how this could have an impact on somebody's ability to aim in TF2 when you consider how players constantly shift their angle of view while tracking and therefor shift their eye dominance. If you're feeling skeptical about the relevancy, I would like to point out that the distance of the target stimuli in the tests were about 20 inches away from the person, which is pretty similar to how close we sit to our monitors and that the threshold for dominance to switch is about 10-20 degrees horizontally, which we certainly meet while tracking fast moving objects on our monitors.

If our dominant eye is shifting, so does our perceived position of an object. This leads me to believe that if we position our eyes in a way that minimizes the likelihood of switching eye dominance, we will have better aim. Since most people are right eye dominant, if you angle your head slightly to the left you'll have to shift your eyes much further to the left to in order to reach the the threshold needed to switch dominance. You could also shift the position of your monitor in the direction of your dominant eye.

EDIT: link disappeared when I edited the post.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0042698901000797

I started thinking about how the relationship between your dominant and your non dominant eye might influence your aim in FPS games so I looked up a study and found some interesting points. Here's the most relevant part of the conclusion.

"Our main finding is that ocular dominance reverses as a function of ocular dominance, with some modulation determined by the hand used. The functional significance of these results seems to be straightforward. Although the binocular field of view is ≈100° when looking straight ahead, as the eyes rotate peripherally, the monocular field of the inward turning eye is increasingly occluded (largely by the nose) by up to 50%. Therefore, it makes sense for the eye–hand coordination system to choose the eye with best overall field of view. At the same time, in most subjects this gating function is shifted slightly to the left or right (Fig. 2a), most likely to avoid dominance ‘flickering’ at the commonplace central range (i.e. the range tested in previous studies). This strategy allows for preferential gating of visual input from the eye with the best field of view, while avoiding ambiguity at the most common central gaze position."

Basically, the main finding was that people's dominant eye shifts based on what degree they're looking at. They also stated that the switch in dominance is pretty abrupt so Its pretty easy to see how this could have an impact on somebody's ability to aim in TF2 when you consider how players constantly shift their angle of view while tracking and therefor shift their eye dominance. If you're feeling skeptical about the relevancy, I would like to point out that the distance of the target stimuli in the tests were about 20 inches away from the person, which is pretty similar to how close we sit to our monitors and that the threshold for dominance to switch is about 10-20 degrees horizontally, which we certainly meet while tracking fast moving objects on our monitors.

If our dominant eye is shifting, so does our perceived position of an object. This leads me to believe that if we position our eyes in a way that minimizes the likelihood of switching eye dominance, we will have better aim. Since most people are right eye dominant, if you angle your head slightly to the left you'll have to shift your eyes much further to the left to in order to reach the the threshold needed to switch dominance. You could also shift the position of your monitor in the direction of your dominant eye.

EDIT: link disappeared when I edited the post.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0042698901000797
2
#2
12 Frags +

play with an eyepatch, problem solved

play with an eyepatch, problem solved
3
#3
4 Frags +
Daffodil-play with an eyepatch, problem solved

i will try this in scrims tonight, ill tell you how it goes

[quote=Daffodil-]play with an eyepatch, problem solved[/quote]
i will try this in scrims tonight, ill tell you how it goes
4
#4
25 Frags +

http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/teamfortress/images/1/1c/Demo-man.png/revision/latest?cb=20150127180154

[img]http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/teamfortress/images/1/1c/Demo-man.png/revision/latest?cb=20150127180154[/img]
5
#5
1 Frags +

Just moved my monitor a little bit the left to match my dominant eye and played a pug. Maybe its placebo but tbh things did feel more consistently easy to track and i felt like i was able to keep track of both my crosshair and enemies more accurately. I also found it easy for my eyes to stay relaxed.

Just moved my monitor a little bit the left to match my dominant eye and played a pug. Maybe its placebo but tbh things did feel more consistently easy to track and i felt like i was able to keep track of both my crosshair and enemies more accurately. I also found it easy for my eyes to stay relaxed.
6
#6
2 Frags +

capnfapn with the pro tips

capnfapn with the pro tips
7
#7
2 Frags +

'scuse me if i have no idea what i'm talking about but wouldn't this have 0 effect on tf2? you aren't perceiving it as a 3d space via 2 eyes, it's just a 2d screen

'scuse me if i have no idea what i'm talking about but wouldn't this have 0 effect on tf2? you aren't perceiving it as a 3d space via 2 eyes, it's just a 2d screen
8
#8
0 Frags +

This could be a very interesting scientific study if it hasn't been looked into already by people with a lot more time, money, and resources

This could be a very interesting scientific study if it hasn't been looked into already by people with a lot more time, money, and resources
9
#9
1 Frags +
toads_tf'scuse me if i have no idea what i'm talking about but wouldn't this have 0 effect on tf2? you aren't perceiving it as a 3d space via 2 eyes, it's just a 2d screen

I don't think the fact that the screen is 2D makes its application invalid since the factor that determines your dominant eye at any given moment is 2D itself.

[quote=toads_tf]'scuse me if i have no idea what i'm talking about but wouldn't this have 0 effect on tf2? you aren't perceiving it as a 3d space via 2 eyes, it's just a 2d screen[/quote]

I don't think the fact that the screen is 2D makes its application invalid since the factor that determines your dominant eye at any given moment is 2D itself.
10
#10
1 Frags +

so when we dont switch sides on a reflection-symmetry koth map (product, lakeside, NOT coalplant), it actually matters? neato

so when we dont switch sides on a reflection-symmetry koth map (product, lakeside, NOT coalplant), it actually matters? neato
11
#11
0 Frags +

The problem with your theory is that you rarely really move your eyes when playing a FPS.
The angle of view changes on the monitor (inside of the monitor, the monitor stays in the same place - I don't think that kind of change in angle of view has any effect on what our dominant eye is).
The angle of view at which we look at our monitor however doesn't change at all. It's always straight in front of us so we don't have to shift our heads or rotate out eyes to look at it.
Remember the part about our nose getting in the way of one eye so the other eye which isn't blocked becomes the dominant one?
That doesn't happen at all while looking at a monitor, so why would your dominant eye change?

The problem with your theory is that you rarely really move your eyes when playing a FPS.
The angle of view changes on the monitor (inside of the monitor, the monitor stays in the same place - I don't think that kind of change in angle of view has any effect on what our dominant eye is).
The angle of view at which we look at our monitor however doesn't change at all. It's always straight in front of us so we don't have to shift our heads or rotate out eyes to look at it.
Remember the part about our nose getting in the way of one eye so the other eye which isn't blocked becomes the dominant one?
That doesn't happen at all while looking at a monitor, so why would your dominant eye change?
12
#12
0 Frags +
capnnofapnBasically, the main finding was that people's dominant eye shifts based on what degree they're looking at. They also stated that the switch in dominance is pretty abrupt so Its pretty easy to see how this could have an impact on somebody's ability to aim in TF2 when you consider how players constantly shift their angle of view while tracking and therefor shift their eye dominance.

but you don't actually shift your angle of view. enemies remain in the center of your screen when you are tracking them.. you always aim at the center of your screen.

the angle of view of you character within the game doesn't matter, only your angle of view in real life which doesn't really change.

edit: posted this without refreshing above post, but along the same lines of what rent said

[quote=capnnofapn]Basically, the main finding was that people's dominant eye shifts based on what degree they're looking at. They also stated that the switch in dominance is pretty abrupt so Its pretty easy to see how this could have an impact on somebody's ability to aim in TF2 when you consider how players constantly shift their angle of view while tracking and therefor shift their eye dominance.[/quote]

but you don't actually shift your angle of view. enemies remain in the center of your screen when you are tracking them.. you always aim at the center of your screen.

the angle of view of you character within the game doesn't matter, only your angle of view in real life which doesn't really change.

edit: posted this without refreshing above post, but along the same lines of what rent said
13
#13
3 Frags +

I'm sorry if i wasn't clear if i was referring to the player changing his angle of view or the character in game. I meant the actual person. I think you're probably right about it being irrelevant in situations where its relatively easy to keep the enemy close to the middle of the screen, such as when you're targeting an enemy thats really far away or stutter stepping, but I could see it coming into play in situations like close range scout 1v1s, switching from a target on one side of the screen to the other, and when you have to move your crosshair away from the target in order to airstrafe. The study says it only takes about a 15 degree shift in the angle your eye is looking on average for your eyes to switch dominance. I dont have the tools to figure out exactly how far to the right or left from the center of the screen 15 degrees is from where you're sitting, but if the depictions of the methods used in the study are accurate then I wouldn't be surprised if we do shift our eyes 15 degrees or more.

I'm sorry if i wasn't clear if i was referring to the player changing his angle of view or the character in game. I meant the actual person. I think you're probably right about it being irrelevant in situations where its relatively easy to keep the enemy close to the middle of the screen, such as when you're targeting an enemy thats really far away or stutter stepping, but I could see it coming into play in situations like close range scout 1v1s, switching from a target on one side of the screen to the other, and when you have to move your crosshair away from the target in order to airstrafe. The study says it only takes about a 15 degree shift in the angle your eye is looking on average for your eyes to switch dominance. I dont have the tools to figure out exactly how far to the right or left from the center of the screen 15 degrees is from where you're sitting, but if the depictions of the methods used in the study are accurate then I wouldn't be surprised if we do shift our eyes 15 degrees or more.
14
#14
0 Frags +
capnnofapnI'm sorry if i wasn't clear if i was referring to the player changing his angle of view or the character in game. I meant the actual person. I think you're probably right about it being irrelevant in situations where its relatively easy to keep the enemy close to the middle of the screen, such as when you're targeting an enemy thats really far away or stutter stepping, but I could see it coming into play in situations like close range scout 1v1s, switching from a target on one side of the screen to the other, and when you have to move your crosshair away from the target in order to airstrafe. The study says it only takes about a 15 degree shift in the angle your eye is looking on average for your eyes to switch dominance. I dont have the tools to figure out exactly how far to the right or left from the center of the screen 15 degrees is from where you're sitting, but if the depictions of the methods used in the study are accurate then I wouldn't be surprised if we do shift our eyes 15 degrees or more.

You entire screen is within your field of view at all times tho.
So even if an enemy is at the corner of your screen you still barely have to move your eyes.
It's really easy to test: Look at the top right corner of your screen. Close your right eye. Does your nose block any part of the screen now? It doesn't for me and unless you either have a HUGE nose or have your face like 1 centimeter away from your screen, I'm sure it doesn't for you either.
And if your nose doesn't block your view at all, there's zero reason for your dominant eye to change.

[quote=capnnofapn]I'm sorry if i wasn't clear if i was referring to the player changing his angle of view or the character in game. I meant the actual person. I think you're probably right about it being irrelevant in situations where its relatively easy to keep the enemy close to the middle of the screen, such as when you're targeting an enemy thats really far away or stutter stepping, but I could see it coming into play in situations like close range scout 1v1s, switching from a target on one side of the screen to the other, and when you have to move your crosshair away from the target in order to airstrafe. The study says it only takes about a 15 degree shift in the angle your eye is looking on average for your eyes to switch dominance. I dont have the tools to figure out exactly how far to the right or left from the center of the screen 15 degrees is from where you're sitting, but if the depictions of the methods used in the study are accurate then I wouldn't be surprised if we do shift our eyes 15 degrees or more.[/quote]

You entire screen is within your field of view at all times tho.
So even if an enemy is at the corner of your screen you still barely have to move your eyes.
It's really easy to test: Look at the top right corner of your screen. Close your right eye. Does your nose block any part of the screen now? It doesn't for me and unless you either have a HUGE nose or have your face like 1 centimeter away from your screen, I'm sure it doesn't for you either.
And if your nose doesn't block your view at all, there's zero reason for your dominant eye to change.
15
#15
0 Frags +
capnnofapnI dont have the tools to figure out exactly how far to the right or left from the center of the screen 15 degrees is from where you're sitting, but if the depictions of the methods used in the study are accurate then I wouldn't be surprised if we do shift our eyes 15 degrees or more.

that's not hard to figure out just use some trig.

if you sit 2.5 feet away from the monitor then tan(15deg) = x/30
so a 15 degree cone would be 8.04 inches of the screen. you can double it if you want 15 degrees in each direction.

I kinda doubt that study though. I mean you can just look at the corner of your monitor and do the dominant eye test. for me its still more biased to my right eye.

[quote=capnnofapn]I dont have the tools to figure out exactly how far to the right or left from the center of the screen 15 degrees is from where you're sitting, but if the depictions of the methods used in the study are accurate then I wouldn't be surprised if we do shift our eyes 15 degrees or more.[/quote]
that's not hard to figure out just use some trig.

if you sit 2.5 feet away from the monitor then tan(15deg) = x/30
so a 15 degree cone would be 8.04 inches of the screen. you can double it if you want 15 degrees in each direction.

I kinda doubt that study though. I mean you can just look at the corner of your monitor and do the dominant eye test. for me its still more biased to my right eye.
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