Dr. Bret Eschman uses eye-tracking technology in the Visual Memory and Attention Development (VMAD) Lab to study how people perceive, pay attention and make decisions.
photo by Angela Foster/UTC
Dr. Bret Eschman, an assistant professor of psychology and director of the Visual Memory and Attention Development (VMAD) Lab at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, is using leading-edge eye-tracking technology to uncover the mysteries of cognitive neuroscience and human development.
Specializing in developmental psychology, Dr. Eschman focuses on understanding how people perceive, pay attention and make decisions using tools that provide real-time insights into cognitive processes.
Eye-tracking, he said, “provides a window into the mechanism leading to some type of behavior.” Infrared light reflects off a viewer’s eyes and back into a monitor, allowing researchers to track where someone is looking, how long they focus on an area and how their eyes move across a field of stimuli.
“What’s really interesting to me as a cognitive researcher is that we’re getting a glimpse under the hood of this process of deciding,” he said.
“We can see that play out in real-time with scan paths, how many comparisons they make, how long they dwell in a specific area, and how many times they come back.
“All these little metrics that we’re tracking afford us the opportunity to really tell a complete picture.”
One VMAD Lab study is examining how infants process multisensory information—like matching a parent’s voice to lip movements—a critical skill for language development. Another project explores how chronic stress impacts adult attention and decision-making, while a third investigates the potential of “bionic reading” typefaces for individuals with ADHD and dyslexia.
“These are the kinds of questions eye-tracking is uniquely equipped to answer,” Dr. Eschman said. “It gives us the tools to dig deeper into the cognitive processes that define how we learn and interact with the world.”
His work also extends to the broader community. Through the VMAD Lab, parents gain practical advice on fostering cognitive development in children—from narrating daily activities to building social bonds through face-to-face interactions.
“It’s incredible to see how our science translates into real-world impact,” Dr. Eschman said. “Even small changes can make a big difference.”