The Tests Used

The Antisaccade Test

A stimulus that suddenly appears on the edge of vision evokes a reflex behavior (an overreaction) which leads to the gaze being shifted to the stimulus. The test is useful for verifying the ability to suppress that particular response by producing Saccade (eye movements) in the opposite direction to the appearance of the stimulus.

The ability to perform this task involves the efficiency of certain mental functions, in particular the concentration required in inhibiting automated behavior. If a subject makes many errors, it indicates that there are difficulties at the expense of other functions, which could cause distractions or create difficulty in moving from one course of action to another.

The Visual Search Test

The participant must find, as quickly as possible, an element that has a certain shape or color, such as a blue “O”, among other elements that differ in one or more features that make it difficult to distinguish (e.g., a blue “Q”). The number of these “disrupting” elements gradually increases from one test to another.

The speed of execution of the tests provides an index of the visual-perceptive skills and visual search ability as well as the capacity to maintain a high level of attention for a given period of time.

The Visual-Emotional Response Test

The participant is presented with a series of visual scenes, each of which consists of two separate images side by side. One of the two images (defined as “emotigena”) represents a negative connotation and linked to the professional functions of the subject. The other represents a neutral or positive connotation, without reference to a particular work context. The test consists of expressing a preference between the two images displayed.

The analysis of exploration done by the participant allows, in particular, a hypothesis about defensive reactions to be made, the avoidance of active emotional stimuli, or, on the contrary, possible tendencies such as “sensation seeking”.