Expert Vs Novice: Eye tracking applications in law enforcement
You’ve most likely seen an old Western-style shootout where the good cowboy and the bad cowboy pace out in opposite directions then simultaneously turn and draw. Of course, in the movies, the good cowboy was usually the quickest to draw, and therefore the one to walk away alive. However, a study by the Force Science Research Center found that there is more to winning a gunfight than being the good guy. The study conducted by Dr. Bill Lewinski and Dr. Joan Vickers used pupil tracking technology to reveal that gaze patterns influence the likelihood of winning a gunfight.
The study compared the behavior of expert Emergency Response Team (ERT) officers and younger, rookie officers who had just completed their firearms certification. The officers wore an eye tracking device to monitor their gaze as they completed a training scenario. In the scenario, a suspect with their back turned to the armed officer would suddenly pivot and draw either a gun or a cell phone from his jacket. The officers would have to instantly assess the situation and react with the appropriate response. The outcome of the study indicated that gaze and focus had a significant relationship to performance.
As expected, the elite shooters were quicker to react, hit the target more consistently, and responded with the correct action more frequently than the rookie shooters, but what the study revealed was why. The rookies were reactive when they shot; the eye tracker showed their gaze patterns were longer during the assessment of the situation and short during the aim and fire actions. Another shocking revelation was that the rookies took their eyes off the target to look at their own firearm before shooting during 82% of the tests which explained their 54% target accuracy. The experts looked at their own weapons only 33% and had 75% target accuracy. The experts were more focused on the target and had longer gaze fixations before shooting.
In real life shootouts, Hollywood’s good guy doesn’t always win, so it’s crucial to give our police officers the training they need to have the upper hand. Using eye tracking, this study revealed importance of visual and mental focus on achieving target recognition and will assist in the development of training programs that better prepare officers for hostile situations.
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