O049 Tracking team performance during the circadian low using ocular measures

Abstract Introduction Distributed teams operating overnight in safety-critical environments often experience declines in performance and cohesion, particularly during the circadian low. These impairments, driven by circadian disruption, pose significant risks. Objective, real-time indicators of team functioning could help mitigate these effects. This study investigated whether ocular metrics derived from eye tracking could predict team behaviours and performance during periods of fatigue. Methods Twenty-four healthy young adults (M ± SD = 25.38 ± 6.53yrs;9f) participated in an in-laboratory, 32-hour wakefulness protocol (Day 1 07:00 to Day 2 15:00h). During the circadian low, six teams of four completed COHESION, a computer-based team task, while eye tracking data were collected. To simulate distributed team conditions, team members were physically isolated from one another, interacting only through the task interface. Participants also completed subjective assessments of alertness and team cohesion. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were used to evaluate the predictive power of ocular measures for team outcomes. Results Fixation count demonstrated strong predictive ability for both team member productivity (area under the ROC curve (AUC) = 0.80 ± 0.12) and subjective alertness (AUC = 0.84 ± 0.08). Fixation duration was a strong predictor of alertness (AUC = 0.89 ± 0.07), while long blink frequency strongly predicted individual performance (AUC = 0.86 ± 0.08). Blink duration was also a strong predictor of both productivity (AUC = 0.83 ± 0.09) and individual performance (AUC = 0.80 ± 0.11). Discussion These findings suggest that specific ocular metrics can serve as reliable indicators of team behaviours, performance and alertness during the circadian low. Eye tracking may offer a non-invasive, real-time method to monitor and support distributed teams working under fatigue, enhancing safety and effectiveness in critical operations.