February 16, 2026
Dr. Nicolas Jankuhn, Assistant Professor of Marketing, along with Dr. Katie Ehlman of the University of Nevada, Reno and Dr. Dinko Bačić of Loyola University Chicago, had their cross-disciplinary research “Behavioral Intervention for People with Dementia: A Stage I Pilot Study Using Eye-Tracking” accepted for a poster session at the 2026 Virtual Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Geriatrics Society.
The Positive Physical Approach (PPA) has gained considerable traction as a caregiving framework, yet empirical validation of its core mechanisms remains limited. This study addresses that gap by leveraging eye-tracking technology at USI's Biometrix Discovery Lab to examine whether caregivers' visual attention patterns reflect the sequential structure of PPA's first four steps. The findings suggest that they do, providing preliminary support for the approach's ability to shape caregiver-resident interactions as theorized. This work not only sets the stage for expanded investigations involving people living with dementia and the full 12-step PPA protocol but also exemplifies the Biometrix Discovery Lab's mission of fostering cutting edge cross-disciplinary behavioral research.