ljh-1229 / pylink_book

Eye-tracking with Python and Pylink

Eye-tracking with Python and Pylink

Python is becoming more and more popular among scientists. Its application in psychology has expanded from scripting computer-based experimental tasks to all aspects of research, including but not limited to data collection, analysis, and visualization. I had little knowledge of computer programming when I started my graduate study about 16 years ago. I experimented with different programming languages and tools but finally settled down with Python for its easy syntax, flexibility, versatility, and open community.

The content of this book is based mainly on my research experience and the courses I have taught previously. There are quite a few Python books on the market featuring programming tools designed for psychologists (e.g., PsychoPy). What sets this book apart is its focus on eye-tracking.

Eye-tracking is a widely used research technique in psychology and neuroscience labs. The eye-trackers used in the lab are typically faster, more accurate, and of course, more expensive than the ones seen in consumer goods (e.g., VR goggles) or usability labs. The eye-trackers featured in this book are the EyeLink series trackers manufactured by SR Research Ltd. EyeLink eye-trackers are arguably the best research-grade tracker available on the market. This high-speed eye-tracker has unmatched precision and accuracy, and it has been used in well over 9000 peer-reviewed publications.

This book will first introduce the building blocks and syntax of Python, then discuss libraries that we can use to program psychology experiments, i.e., PsychoPy and Pygame. For eye-tracking, this book will cover the Pylink library in detail. The example scripts accompanying this book are freely available on GitHub, https://github.com/zhiguo-eyelab/Pylink_book. This book is a useful reference for eye-tracking researchers, but you can also use it in graduate or undergraduate level programming courses.

Special thanks go to Dr. Sam Hutton, Dr. Yanliang Sun, and my colleagues at SR Research Ltd. for their valuable feedback on an earlier version of this book.

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Copyright © 2020 by Zhiguo Wang

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This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.