Adaptive rightward gaze shifts support configural object recognition during perceptual challenge

We investigated gaze lateralization during object and face recognition using stimuli containing only low spatial frequency information. Using Dots stimuli that isolate configural structure while allowing precise control of sensory evidence, we recorded eye movements during free-viewing and time-restricted exploration across four experiments. Gaze shifted reliably toward the right visual hemifield as perceptual demands increased, appearing as reduced leftward bias, or clear rightward lateralization. This shift was strengthened by lower visibility, intrinsic ambiguity, and higher task demands. In free viewing, gaze shifts were dynamically modulated by sensory evidence and stimulus familiarity, whereas task-general priors alone did not account for lateralization. Under time-restricted viewing, strong rightward shifts emerged rapidly, indicating early optimization when access to information was limited. Faces differed from objects in their exploration dynamics, although lateralization did not differ between conspecific and heterospecific faces. These results indicate that rightward gaze shifts reflect flexible, adaptive strategies supporting configural visual processing.