Wenjing He has completed PhD in surgical simulation specializing in team training and team performance assessment using eye tracking and motion tracking evidences at University of Alberta. She has four years simulation instruction experience in team training and team work assessment. She also has the experience in simulation design, training and evaluation. Currently she is the manager of Surgical Simulation Research Lab (SSRL).

Objectives: To investigate if team members display similar pupil dilations during a laparoscopic procedure.

 

Methods: Fourteen subjects formed 22 dyad teams. Each team carried out a simulated laparoscopic object transportation task. Dual team members’ eye movements were tracked simultaneously during the procedure. Three types of teams (elite, intermediate and poor teams) were grouped according to team performance (task completion time); Six subtasks were identified from the procedure according to key movement landmarks. The similarity of pupil dilations was calculated by coefficient of determination (R2) between two individual members’ pupil diameters. A two-way between-subject ANOVA was conducted to explore how team levels and task type affect joint pupil dilation. 

 

Results: Our results showed that elite teams’ members pupil dilations were more synchronized, i.e. the similarities (R2) of pupil dilation patterns of elite team members were significantly higher than those of poor teams (0.36 ± 0.22 vs. 0.21 ± 0.14; P < 0.001).

 

Conclusions: Level of similarity of pupil dilation recorded from two team members presented difference among teams with different performance; it has a potential to serve as an objective indicator in assessing shared team cognition.