EyeT4Empathy: Eye Movement and Empathy Dataset

Developed through a collaborative effort by Pedro Lencastre, Samip Bhurtel, Anis Yazidi, Gustavo B. M. e Mello, Sergiy Denysov, and Pedro G. Lind, the EyeT4Empathy dataset is a rich resource capturing intricate patterns of eye movement and empathy evaluations from 60 participants. This dataset uniquely merges the exploration of visual information, gaze typing dynamics, and empathy assessment, offering a detailed view into the interaction between visual cognition and emotional understanding.

Tasks and Methodology: Participants engaged in two specific activities:

1. Visual Exploration: Participants freely observed unstructured images, allowing for natural eye movement tracking.
2. Gaze Typing: Utilizing an eye-gaze interface, participants completed typing tasks, providing insights into gaze-controlled interactions.

These activities were recorded using advanced eye-tracking technologies, resulting in a dataset that includes gaze positions and pupil diameter metrics. The dataset is divided into two segments, each catering to the distinct tasks performed.

Empathy Assessment: The empathy aspect of the dataset focuses on assessing both cognitive and affective components of empathy, particularly relevant for individuals with movement impairments. This was evaluated through a detailed 40-question survey administered twice to each participant, aiming to gauge changes or consistencies in empathic responses.