Full Reflection - Owen

Visiting Nottingham Malaysian University (NMU) was both enlightening and eye-opening for me. Not only did I gain exposure to an advanced eye-tracking system, but I also noticed a significant contrast between NMU’s calm, focused learning environment and Sunway’s more fast-paced atmosphere. This difference in research culture gave me a deeper appreciation of how the physical and social environment shapes the way scientific work is carried out.

One of the biggest insights I gained was how demanding eye-tracking research actually is. I had initially assumed that setting up an eye tracker involved simply placing it in front of a participant and letting the system run on its own. Instead, I learned that calibration is a time-consuming and meticulous process. The effort, patience, and technical skill required made me appreciate the researchers who work with such tools, especially the precision needed to generate meaningful and trustworthy data.

This experience also contributed to my own growth as an aspiring researcher, giving me a clearer picture of what it means to work with advanced experimental equipment. What surprised me most was the range and richness of data the system could capture, which was well beyond what I expected. Looking ahead, I hope to apply eye-tracking methods to explore clinical psychology topics, such as how individuals with different disorders visually respond to emotional or anger-related stimuli. I believe this approach could offer new avenues for screening, understanding, and even intervention.