Spatial and temporal properties of gaze return fixations on recently viewed regions during free viewing of affective images from The International Affective System (IAPS) image database are considered. In each test, 10 positive, 10 negative, and 10 neutral images were presented for each Subject (n=20). It was revealed that the probability of the return fixations varied from 0,04 up to 0,42 for different Subjects and images (the average probability for negative, neutral and positive images was equal to 0,0900,009, 0,0790,012 and 0,0760,009). It was shown that the distributions of return fixations duration and preceding (returning) saccades amplitude had a bimodal character. Besides, a tendency to increase the return fixation duration with a decrease in amplitude of the preceding saccades was revealed. Return fixations which located inside the areas of interest determined by analysis of the spatial distribution of all fixations (both regular and return ones) had maximal density and duration as compared with the other image regions. Finally, the volunteers with dominant focal viewing scan-paths had a higher probability of return fixations than those with scanning trajectories (0,090,003 and 0,050,006). On the base of the obtained results, the opportunity to estimate the dominant component of visual attention during the current stage of the dynamic process of image viewing and prospective studies of return fixations have been discussed.
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