Cardiometric and oculographic indicators of the resource potential of various factors of personal success

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Aleksandr S. Ognev. Cardiometric and oculographic indicators of the resource potential of various factors of personal success. Cardiometry; Issue No. 32; August 2024; p. 42-48; DOI: 10.18137/cardiometry.2024.32.4248; Available from:

INTRODUCTION AND STATEMENT OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM

One of the chronic difficulties in assessing the real subjective significance of various incentives and success factors for a given individual is rather strict censorship of what he/she is going to tell the diagnostician about his/her priorities, innermost designs, habits and preferences [1-6, 9-12, 14-16, 18-23]. And this diffi- 42 | Cardiometry | Issue 32. August 2024

culty arises not only when it comes to criminal investigations or when various kinds of official job-related checks are carried out. Even in everyday life, under the influence of various kinds of stress and fears, most of us tend to unnecessarily hide much of what for us is actually real incentives to work or the most important indicators of success in life.

The importance of solving this problem constantly promotes the search for means of this kind of diagnostics, among which are the most well-known, various methods for detecting concealed information [7, 12-17, 21-23]. But a number of inaccuracies of these methods and a clear bias towards detecting what a person does not want to make public still create a vast range for creative searches. An important part of them is identifying what is included now into positive incentives for a given individual at a given moment, especially those incentives, the existence of which he/ she himself/herself does not fully realize, as well as those ones, the positive significance of which he/she himself/herself tries to ignore.

Certain hopes for progress in this area of diagnostics are given by studies of instrumental recording of manifestations of involuntary attention and those types of psycho-physiological reactions, which indicate imbalances between various components of the autonomic nervous system [1-7, 9, 11, 12, 14-23]. In this regard, at the beginning of the series of experiments described in this work, a hypothesis has been proposed according to which factors of personal success related to the category of subjectively valuable resources can be identified by recording cardiometric and oculographic indicators of the activity of a test subject under the conditions of his/her forced choice.

EXPERIMENT MATERIALS

AND METHODS

To test the above hypothesis, taking into account the results of the previously conducted studies, a battery of visual stimuli was compiled, part of which were modified versions of well-proven contour drawings from validated projective techniques. Another part of that battery was formed in the form of visual-verbal semantic differentials containing indications of the most frequently encountered signs of success and achievements and the resources used for this purpose. The battery included the following stimuli:

– the phrase «успех это» (“success is”) placed in the central part of the stimulus, which was surrounded by such options for its completion as «слава» (“fame”), «деньги» (“money”), «талант» (“talent”), «власть» (“power”);

– the phrase «ресурс» (“resource”) placed in the central part of the stimulus, which was surrounded by such options for its completion as «слава» (“fame”), «деньги» (“money”), «умения» (“skills”), «власть» (“power”);

– the phrase «ресурс» (“resource”) placed in the central part of the stimulus, which was surrounded by such options for its completion as «связи» (“to be well-connected”), «талант» (“talent”), «заслуги» (“merits”), «труд» (“labor”);

– the question «Где Вы?» (“Where are you?”) placed in the upper part of the stimulus, under which the following images were located: in the center, a clearly dominant character who says something to the person to his right, and to the left is a third character who traces this conversation with his/her head half turned.

In addition to the above stimuli, the battery used the following:

– an image of a red line with the inscription: «За черту нельзя!» (“Do not cross the red line!”);

– the geometric shapes from the psycho-geometric test by S. Dellinger placed under the phrase «Это Я!» (“It’s me!”);

– the phrase «я – генератор» (“I am a generator of”) placed in the central part of the stimulus, which was surrounded by such options for its completion as «дружбы» (“friendship”), «ссор» “quarrels”, «стресса» (“stress”), «мира» (“peace”);

– the phrase «важнее» (“more important”) placed in the central part of the stimulus, which was surrounded by such options for its completion as «сочувствие» (“empathy”), «долг» (“duty”), «смысл» (“meaning”), «практичность» (“practicality”);

– the phrase «мне нравится» (“I like”) located in the central part of the stimulus, which was surrounded by such completion options as «творить» (“to create”), «хранить» (“to maintain”), «учить» (“to teach”), «мастерить» (“to craft”);

– the phrase «я сильнее в» (“I am stronger in”) located in the central part of the stimulus, which was surrounded by such completion options as «логистике» (“logistics”), «стратегии» (“strate- gy”), «дипломатии» (“diplomacy”), «тактике» (“tactics”);

– the phrase «люди меня» (“people…me”) located in the central part of the stimulus, which was surrounded by such completion options as «ценят» (“appreciate”), «боятся» (“fear”), «любят» (“love”), «избегают» (“avoid”).

All the stimuli used were made both in their digital form for their exposure for 10 seconds on the monitor of a computer combined with an eye tracker, and in printed form for their presentation to the respondent when working with cardiometers. In this study, the GP-3 device was used as an eye tracker, and the PC-assisted Cardiocode cardiograph to record the cardiac performance data was employed as a cardiometer.

Each subject took part in three series of experiments. In the first series, he/she had to fix his/her gaze on the element that, in his/her opinion, was the least suitable as an answer to the final part of the presented statement during the exposure of the current stimulus on the screen of a computer combined with an eye tracker. In the second series, the work was carried out with the same stimuli, but the subject now had to fix his/her gaze on the most suitable, correct, answer to the designated question. In the third series of the experiments, the subject was presented with printed versions of the same stimuli in the same order. In that case, he/she was asked to fix his/her attention on that part of the stimulus that he/she himself/herself wanted to look at most.

A total of 106 subjects took part in the study. The number has included, in approximately equal proportions, winners of personal work competitions selected to participate in various youth forums (subgroup No. 1), job seekers visiting job fairs (subgroup No. 2), as well as senior students with an average level of their academic performance (subgroup No. 3).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The way in which respondents have responded to the stimuli presented to them in the first and second series of experiments is depicted in Figure 1 given herein. The Figure exhibits the following: the visual stimulus itself, which each respondent saw on a computer combined with an eye tracker (the figure in the first row), the gaze movement options recorded for different respondents in the form of automatically recorded tracks in the first series of the experiment, when it was necessary to find the least suitable option

Д^ьги сть

СЛАВА ДЕНЬГИ

УСПЕХ ЭТО

ТАЛАНТ ВЛАСТЬ

Figure 1. Typical patterns of distribution of gaze fixation in the form of automatically recorded tracks when performing the task of choosing the most inappropriate answer option for the statement in the center of the visual stimulus (the left image in the second row) and when performing the task of choosing the most appropriate answer option for the statement in the center of the visual stimulus (the right image in the second row). The first row at the top shows the original visual stimulus that each respondent saw on the screen of a computer connected to the eye tracker.

(the figure in the second lower row on the right), as well as the gaze movement options recorded for different respondents in the form of automatically recorded tracks in the second series of the experiment, when it was necessary to find the most suitable option (the figure in the second lower row on the left).

As can be seen from the Figure, to complete the statement «Успех это» (“success is”) respondents in both cases least often chose the «деньги» (“money”) option. The least suitable ending for this phrase was the option «талант» (“talent”) when respondents were asked to find the most incorrect of the given options for continuing the phrase in the center of the screen. The same option turned out to be the most suitable one, when, during the repeated presentation of the same battery of visual stimuli, the respondents were asked to choose the most suitable, the most correct option for continuing the phrase «Успех это» (“success is”) located in the center of the screen.

As was indicated above, along with recording the dynamic picture of the pupil movement of each respondent, the absolute and specific time of gaze fixation on each fragment presented in the visual stimulus were also recorded in the experiments. For the stimulus displayed in Figure 1 herein, in the first se- 44 | Cardiometry | Issue 32. August 2024

ries of experiments this time for the answer «талант» (“talent”) amounts to 1.27 seconds or 13 percent, respectively. In the second series of experiments, the following average gaze fixation indicators were obtained for the same answer option: 4.57 seconds in absolute units or 40 percent in specific units. Similar indicators for the answer options «слава» (“fame”) and «власть» (“power”) occupied an intermediate position between the two previous ones.

Similar results were obtained when working with a similar visual stimulus, in the center of which the inscription «ресурс» (“resource”) was placed, and in the corners of the screen such answer options as «деньги» (“money”), «власть» (“power”), «умения» (“skills”), and «слава» (“fame”). In the first series, when it was necessary to choose the most inappropriate answer option, the following average arithmetic parameters of gaze fixation were recorded: for the fragment “money”: 0.81 seconds in absolute units and 8 percent in specific units. In the second series of the experiments, during which it was necessary to find the most appropriate answer option, the following average arithmetic parameters of gaze fixation were recorded for the same fragment: 0.97 seconds in absolute units and 10 percent in specific units. The highest indicator values in the second series of experiments were recorded for the answer «умения» (“skills”). According to the data obtained, for that answer option, the average arithmetic parameters of gaze fixation were recorded as follows: 5.12 seconds in absolute units and 51 percent in specific units. According to the results of the first series of experiments for the same answer option, the average arithmetic parameters of gaze fixation were as indicated below: 3.42 seconds in absolute units and 34 percent in specific units. Such high rates of gaze fixation on this answer option were explained by the respondents themselves in their post-test interviews by the fact that that option seemed the most suitable for them. As a result, they seemed to forget that they needed to look for the opposite option, the least suitable answer. We had previously observed similar reactions to the most significant stimuli during the study of personal values [3-5, 7, 21-23].

However, not all respondents demonstrated exactly the above variant of distribution of their attention. Some respondents (their number was less than ten percent of the total number of respondents in the experiments, and they were mainly included in subgroups No. 1 and No. 3) chose money as an indicator of success. Moreover, they did that in both the first and second series of our experiments. It is also noteworthy that when this group of respondents have been presented with the same stimuli printed on an A5 sheet of paper with simultaneous recording of the cardiometric components of their psycho-physiological reactions, but with an additional task to look at the most suitable answer option, they also have chosen the “money” option. At the same time, the automatic calculation of the Baevsky stress index testified to the obvious dominance of the sympathetic component of their autonomic nervous system at that moment. A somewhat unexpected feature of that part of the respondents was that during the preliminary adjustment of the cardiometers, when they were asked to imagine a pleasant scene from their lives, they, as a rule, indulged in erotic fantasies. That, as a rule, was not encountered in the main group, which tried to avoid such memories.

Significant differences between subgroups No. 1 and No. 2 were most clearly manifested in how exactly they responded to the stimulus, in the center of which was the phrase “people… me”, and in its corners such variants as «ценят» (“appreciate”), «боятся» (“fear”), «любят» (“love”), «избегают» (“avoid”), as depicted in Figure 2 herein. As shown in Figure 2, in the first subgroup, the most inappropriate, incorrect answers were the options «боятся» (“fear”) and «избегают» (“avoid”) (the first series of the experiments). The most appropriate, correct options in the group in question were «ценят» (“appreciate”) and «любят» (“love”) (the second series of the experiments). Participants in the second group made their choice in a diametrically opposite way. For them, the most inappropriate, incorrect answers were the options «ценят» (“appreciate”) and «любят» (“love”) (the first series of the experiments). And the most appropriate for them were the options «боятся» (“fear”) and «избегают» (“avoid”) (the second series of the experiments).

Also, significant differences in reactions to the same stimulus between groups No.1 and No.2 have been found when presented with an image, where the question «Где Вы?» (“Where are you?”) is placed at the top, and below located are the following: in the center, a clearly dominant character, saying something to the person to his/her right; to their left is a third character, who is tracing this conversation with his/her head half turned (see Figure 3 herein).

As shown in the above Figure, the respondents from subgroup No.1 chose the central figure as the most suitable person for their self-identification. On average, the respondents from that subgroup fixed their gaze thereon for 4.19 seconds that amounted to 42 percent of the total exposure time of the stimulus. They looked at the left outlined figure on average for 2.1 seconds that amounted to 21 percent of the total exposure time of the stimulus. They looked at the right figure for an average of 0.83 seconds, i.e. spent about 8 percent of the total stimulus exposure time thereon.

The respondents from subgroup No.2 looked at the left figure for an average of 2.06 seconds (21 percent of the total stimulus exposure time), the central figure for 2.41 seconds (24 percent of the total stimulus exposure time), and the right figure for 2.53 seconds (25 percent of the total stimulus exposure time).

The interpretations of what was seen in that stimulus by the members of these subgroups also differed considerably. Thus, the respondents from subgroup No. 1 believed that the character located in the center clarified for the person standing in front of him/ her what should be paid attention to, what required special responsibility by him/her, explained in detail something that had not been taken into account by him/her before. At the same time, the cardiometric

ЦЕНЯТ БОЯТСЯ

ЛЮДИ МЕНЯ

ИЗБЕГАЮТ ЛЮБЯТ

Figure 2. Distribution of gaze fixation in the form of automatically recorded tracks when performing the task of choosing the most inappropriate answer for the statement in the center of the visual stimulus (to the left of the image for subgroup No.1 in the second row and for subgroup No.2 in the third row) and when performing the task of choosing the most appropriate answer for the statement in the center of the visual stimulus (right images in the second row for subgroup No.1 and in the third row for subgroup No.2). The first row at the top shows the original visual stimulus, which each respondent saw on the screen of a computer connected to the eye tracker.

Figure 3. Distribution of gaze fixation in the form of automatically recorded tracks when performing the task of choosing the most appropriate answer for a statement in the center of a visual stimulus: the far left image exhibits the reactions of respondents from subgroup No. 1, and the far right image shows the reactions of respondents from subgroup No. 2.

measurements of the reactions of the subjects from that subgroup to that image indicated either the dominance of the sympathetic component of the autonomic nervous system over the parasympathetic one, or their balance. And this is quite expected given the fact that, as was said above, that subgroup includes only winners of many competitions, whose actions repeatedly confirmed the high level of development of their leadership qualities.

The respondents from subgroup No. 2 gave a completely different interpretation to that image. In their opinion, the person standing on the right is scolding the one standing in the center for something. In this case, the person standing on the right makes excuses, while the person standing on the left tries not to draw attention to him/her in any way in order to avoid participating in this scene unpleasant for him/her. Cardiometric measurements of the reactions of the subjects from that subgroup to that image most often indicated the dominance of the parasympathetic component of the autonomic nervous system over the sympathetic one. Apparently, that was due to the fact that the majority of respondents from that subgroup had been unsuccessfully trying to find a new job for a long time. In connection therewith, they had developed the attitude of perceiving themselves as victims of various circumstances. Probably, a long stay in an unpleasant role for them also contributed to the constant readiness to seek out, detect and avoid situations, where and when they could be subjected to criticism or any accusations.

Although to a lesser extent, the indicated differences were also observed when recording reactions to other visual stimuli from the list presented above. Thus, in the red line zone, above which the inscription was placed: «За черту нельзя!» (“Do not cross the red line!”), the gaze of respondents from subgroup No. 2 was fixed on average for 3.6 seconds (about 36 percent of the total exposure time of the stimulus). That was twice as long as the time recorded for the respondents from subgroup No. 1. As our previous studies have shown, such features are most often observed in people who are in a state of anticipation of something unpleasant or dangerous for a long time. For example, some students with low academic performance by the end of the exam session, or some insecure schoolchildren during the Unified State Exams respond to this stimulus.

When working with geometric shapes from S. Dellinger’s psychogeometric test, the respondents from subgroup No. 2 fixed their gaze on the zigzag and on the vertical rectangle by more than one and a half times longer. As follows from the description of this test, such preferences are typical of people who perceive their current position as unstable. The reactions of the respondents from subgroups No. 2 and No. 3, recorded using the cardiometer, also correspond to this description. The Baevsky stress index calculated on their basis has demonstrated a significant departure from the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic components of the autonomic nervous system.

CONCLUSION

The obtained results have fully confirmed the validity of our hypothesis that factors of personal success related to the category of subjectively valuable resources can be identified by recording cardiometric and oc-ulographic indicators of the subject’s activity under the conditions of forced choice. The obtained results also showed the possibility of identifying by the specified methods how a person perceives himself/herself at a given moment and how satisfied he/she is with his/her achievements, social status, the results of his/her own life activity and the state of his/her resources, important from the point of view of future success. It was also found that the most stable attitudes of respondents can be detected by those departures from the assigned tasks that they had to follow according to the conditions of the experiment. This provides additional opportunities for identifying the hierarchical system of vital goals and values of a person, and a dispositional description of the structure of his/her current needs.

The article was prepared based on the results of research carried out according to a state assignment by the Financial University within the framework of budget funding.