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Young children’s eye movements respond faster to pointed fingers than arrows or signs, researchers from the University of Lincoln have said.

 

During the university’s ‘Summer Scientist’ week, researchers used eye-tracking technology to observe the speed at which children – between the ages of three and 10 – reacted to different visual cues.

 

The children took part in a specially-designed video game which featured a character called Buzzy Bee who they were required to follow with their eyes. The eye tracker recorded each child’s gaze, noting how quickly and accurately they followed Buzzy, particularly when arrows and fingers pointed the wrong way.

 

Three to five year olds were found to respond much better to the image of a pointed finger than arrows or eyes pointing left or right.

 

There was also a tendency for this age group to follow the pointed finger rather than Buzzy Bee, and because it distracted them, it slowed down their reactions, taking them 50 to 60 milliseconds longer to redirect their gaze.

 

Speaking to Nursery World, lead researcher and head of the school of psychology, professor Tim Hodgson, said: “That’s actually 1/20th of a second, which, in biological terms, is a big effect. What this shows is that making the link between what we see and what we should do comes later in childhood. So you’re not born with it, it must be learnt.”

 

Tim added that the findings could have practical implications for settings.

 

“In a nursery environment, using a pointing finger could be more effective than using other signage like an arrow,” he said.