The Effect of Distance on the Rate of Blinking

Katy Sachs

To see if people started to blink less while staring at a television faster at

a closer distance over time

• My sister who plays on the Wii– When I watch her, she just stares

• Standing too close

Terms

• Wii™: The electronic device that was used in the experiment.

• Blinks/min: The amount of blinks in one minute.• CVS (Computer Vision Syndrome): Temporary

condition of focusing of the eyes after staring at an electronic for an hour. Conditions could be sore eyes, and blurred vision.

• Super Mario Galaxy 2: The computer game that was used during the experiment.

• Meters: Unit of measurement for distance.• ANOVA: Statistical equations that the results were put

into.

Design Diagram• TITLE: The effect of distance while playing video games

on the rate of blinking.• HYPOTHESIS: If people play on the Wii at a close

distance then the rate of eyes blinking will decrease.

• IV: Distance between the person and the Wii (meters)• CONSTANTS: The game, height of the television,

conditions played in, and the amount of time spent playing the game

1 meter 2 meters 3 meters

22 people 22 people 22 people

Design Diagram

Materials

• Materials:• Wii• Game (Super Mario Galaxy 2) • Materials necessary to write down observations• Timer• Video Camera• Tape (for floor)

Procedure• They first will be asked to sign the consent form, knowing their

task is to play the Wii for an half hour.• The person will be video tape talking about their electronic use for

ONE minute: The questions asked: How long they use electronics per day? What is the normal usage of electronic device that they play on?

• This footage will be used to see the subjects blink rate in normal conditions.

• The person will be positioned at a distance they must stay at for the entire experiment. Behind a colored tape, they are not to move past this tape for the entire experiment.

• The background information of Super Mario Galaxy 2 will be presented before they start the experiment. The controls of the Wii remote and how to control the player in the game will be presented with the background information.

• I will let them start playing the Wii at the distance that was marked for the person.

• At the fifteen minute mark, the player will be video tape playing the Wii for one minute.

• As they continue to play the Wii, they will be recorded for another minute as the last minute of the players playing time.

• The player will stop playing after a full half hour is completed.• After the experiment is completed, there will be time to

review the video footage of the player at the start, midway, and at the end of the experiment.

• The data will be collected by showing the three-one minute video clip segments.

• In the first video clip that was recorded, the review will count how many times the player blinked (at the beginning of the experiment).

• After the first minute is completed, watch the second clip to watch the rate of eye movement in that minute.

• Then finally, the third clip will be showed to count the blinking in that minute.

Photo Documentation

ResultsDISTANCE ONE

TRIAL NUMBER BEGINNING RATE(BLINKS/MIN)

MIDWAY RATE ENDING RATE

1 11 5 52 1 14 113 15 9 54 26 17 85 19 8 66 17 10 87 26 16 108 14 5 39 14 5 9

10 25 18 711 20 16 1212 21 11 813 8 0 014 3 4 215 15 10 516 19 16 1617 28 14 1218 14 11 1019 19 14 1520 8 3 1421 10 15 1122 7 12 9

AVERAGES ≈ 15

≈11 ≈9

DISTANCE TWO

TRIAL NUMBER BEGINNING RATE MIDWAY RATE ENDING RATE

1 19 7 22 32 19 203 18 7 54 16 8 55 28 14 126 10 6 47 18 6 58 19 14 149 20 4 4

10 18 17 1211 17 12 612 15 8 513 14 3 1614 24 17 1515 19 8 516 7 3 517 4 5 1018 5 3 319 20 19 2320 19 5 1321 19 6 322 11 8 5

AVERAGES ≈17 ≈9 ≈9

DISTANCE THREETRIAL NUMBER BEGINNING RATE MIDWAY RATE ENDING RATE

1 10 3 72 44 26 163 14 6 44 33 15 85 19 15 116 12 6 57 15 11 78 16 10 89 20 16 12

10 18 12 1011 17 9 512 14 10 813 15 8 614 23 6 715 35 14 1716 10 7 417 14 7 318 11 8 2419 22 15 820 18 12 721 9 3 422 10 16 8

AVERAGES ≈18 ≈11 ≈9

The Effect of Distance on the Rate of Blinking

Distance One

Distance Two

Distance Three

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20

ANOVASource of Variation

Sum of squares

d.f Mean squares

F

Between 36.48 2 18.24 0.3649

Error 9749. 195 49.99

Total 9786. 197

The probability of this result is 0.695 >.05

•Chance

Conclusion

• That distance did not affect blinking rate• ANOVA: data was chance– People have different blinking rates

Errors

• Human Error• Video Camera• Interest level

Extensions– TV affects blinking– Electronics influences your normal blinking rate

Thanks!

• My sisters: ideas• Parents: pushed me to work on this• Mrs. Pietrangelo: help get approved