Skuratova K.A. Oculomotor Features of Perceiving Liminal Spaces by Adolescents and Adults

Statement of the Problem. Liminal spaces, which combine familiar elements (corridors, staircases, hotel lobbies) with anomalous emptiness and lighting, evoke effects of the uncanny (Unheimlich) and the uncanny valley. During adolescence, a period characterized by heightened sensitivity to uncertainty, the perception of such spaces may be particularly distinctive.

The purpose of the study. To compare the subjective impressions and oculomotor behavior parameters of adolescents and adults when perceiving images of liminal spaces, and to identify correlations between eye movements and emotional evaluations.

Methods and respondents. The experiment involved 20 adolescents (aged 15–17 years, M = 16.2, SD = 0.8) and 15 adults (aged 21–35 years, M = 27.3, SD = 4.1). Participants were presented with 40 images of liminal spaces in a randomized order. Eye movements were recorded using a stationary eye tracker and the “Neurobureau” software package. Participants were then asked to rate: the likelihood of seeing the scene in a dream, induced anxiety, and the desire to be in the space (on a 1–5 scale).

Findings. Compared to adults, adolescents were significantly more likely to associate the scenes with dreams, experienced higher levels of anxiety, and expressed a stronger desire to be in the liminal spaces. They exhibited exploratory scanning patterns: longer total viewing time, a greater number of fixations, shorter fixation durations, and larger saccade amplitudes. In the adolescent group, total viewing time and the number of fixations correlated positively with both anxiety and the desire to be in the space.

Conclusion & Significance. Adolescents demonstrate an ambivalent response to liminal spaces, characterized by simultaneously higher anxiety and greater exploratory curiosity, which is reflected in distinct patterns of oculomotor behavior. These findings are relevant for the adaptation of media content and architectural design, taking into account age-related differences in the perception of “in-between spaces”.

Key words: liminal spaces, uncanny valley, oculomotor activity, eye tracking, fixations, saccades, intolerance of uncertainty

For citation: Skuratova, K.A. (2026). Oculomotor Features of Perceiving Liminal Spaces by Adolescents and Adults. New Psychological Research, No. 2, 128–148. DOI: 10.51217/npsyresearch_2026_06_02_07

Acknowledgment

The work was supported by funds from the federal budget within the framework of the state assignment for the Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences (Project No. 1021062411653-4-3.1.8, State Registration No. 124020100154-4).