When a pilot faces a mechanical failure mid-flight, or a firefighter enters a burning building, success often depends on the ability to think clearly under intense pressure. But what happens inside the brain and body during these high-stakes situations?
A research study from the visuomotor neuroscience lab at UW aims to answer that question. The study is led by Samantha Bjelis, an MSc candidate in kinesiology specializing in neuroscience. For this study, Bjelis is working under the supervision of Ewa Niechwiej-Szwedo, in collaboration with Jason Au from Waterloo and Anna-Stiina Wallinheimo from the United Kingdom. “This study combines experimental neuroscience, physiology, and psychology. The goal is to quantify the neurophysiological signature that exists during high-pressure, high-stakes scenarios,” Bjelis said.
The project examines how the brain and body react while participants complete problem-solving tasks under increasingly stressful conditions. Using advanced eye-tracking technology alongside measurements of heart physiology, executive function, and task performance, researchers hope to uncover the biological and cognitive changes that occur during moments of intense pressure.
While pressure-filled situations are common across many professions, researchers still have a limited understanding of the real-time changes occurring in the brain that contribute to either success or failure. According to Bjelis, this gap in knowledge has important implications for occupations where mistakes can have serious consequences. Examples include emergency responders making life-or-death decisions, pilots responding to critical failures, executives negotiating major deals, or athletes competing in decisive moments. Understanding how attention, cognition, and physiological responses shift under pressure could eventually help improve training methods for individuals working in these environments.
A unique aspect of the study is its use of eye tracking as a window into cognition. Eye movements can reveal where attention is directed, how information is processed, and how decision-making changes under stress. Because eye tracking can be used in realistic environments, it offers researchers a valuable way to study cognitive processes outside of traditional laboratory settings. To capture a broad range of experiences, the research team is recruiting participants from diverse backgrounds, including firefighters, emergency medical personnel, pilots, executives, high-level athletes, and university students.
The study is also supported by a team of undergraduate researchers, including Navya Gulati, Alishba Faisal, and Justin Porco.
Students interested in contributing to the research are encouraged to participate. Researchers are seeking participants between the age of 18-35 with normal or corrected-to-normal vision. Participants must not frequently smoke or use recreational drugs and must not have diagnosed visual, neurological, or cardiovascular conditions or hypersensitivity to sound. Participation involves two brief sessions conducted in the applied health sciences building at the UW. The first session lasts about 10 minutes, followed by a second session one week later, lasting around 30 minutes.
Additionally, participants will receive $10 per hour and will be entered into a draw for a $25 gift card of their choice. To participate or learn more about the study, those interested are welcome to reach out to Samantha Bjelis at sbjelis@uwaterloo.ca.
