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Cited by 70Gaze Tracking and Assistive TechnologyVisual Attention and Saliency DetectionVisual perception and processing mechanisms

The fundamentals of eye tracking part 1: the link between theory and research question

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Hessels, Roy S., Nuthmann, Antje, Nyström, Marcus, Andersson, Richard, Niehorster, Diederick C., Hooge, Ignace T. C.·2024·Behavior Research Methods
DOI 10.3758/s13428-024-02544-8PMC PMC11638287
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Abstract

Eye tracking technology has become increasingly prevalent in scientific research, offering unique insights into oculomotor and cognitive processes. The present article explores the relationship between scientific theory, the research question, and the use of eye-tracking technology. It aims to guide readers in determining if eye tracking is suitable for their studies and how to formulate relevant research questions. Examples from research on oculomotor control, reading, scene perception, task execution, visual expertise, and instructional design are used to illustrate the connection between theory and eye-tracking data. These examples may serve as inspiration to researchers new to eye tracking. In summarizing the examples, three important considerations emerge: (1) whether the study focuses on describing eye movements or uses them as a proxy for e.g., perceptual, or cognitive processes, (2) the logical chain from theory to predictions, and (3) whether the study is of an observational or idea-testing nature. We provide a generic scheme and a set of specific questions that may help researchers formulate and explicate their research question using eye tracking.

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  • Eye-tracking indices such as fixation duration, fixation count, AOI dwell proportion, revisit count, and transitions across regions can reveal how attention is distributed during information search, evidential judgment, and answer construction and thereby provide process-level evidence relevant to source verification.

    “These indices can reveal how attention is distributed during information search, evidential judgment, and answer construction and thereby provide process-level evidence relevant to source verification. These affordances have made eye tracking particularly useful for studying source evaluation in digital environments (Gottschling et al., 2019; Liu and Cui, 2025; Hessels et al., 2025).”

    From Responsible use of generative AI in Chinese vocational education: eye-tracking evidence on source verification and immediate near-transfer across three information-seeking conditions (2026) · cites this paper as Hessels et al., 2025

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Hessels, R. S., Nuthmann, A., Nyström, M., Andersson, R., Niehorster, D. C., & Hooge, I. T. C.
Affiliations
  • Utrecht University (NL)
  • Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (DE)
  • Lund University (SE)
  • Tobii (Sweden) (SE)
Corresponding author
Hessels, Roy S.
ORCID
Venue
Behavior Research Methods
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2024-12-12
Volume
57
Issue
1
Pages
16-16
ISSN
  • 1554-351X (ISSN-L)
  • 1554-3528
DOI
10.3758/s13428-024-02544-8
PMC
PMC11638287
OpenAlex
W4405314576
Cited by
70
References
2
Citations by year
2026: 34 · 2025: 35 · 2013: 1
FWCI
16.24
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Behavior Research Methods (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Multimedialen Archiv und Publikationsserver der Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Utrecht University Repository (Utrecht University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Lund University Publications (Lund University) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Human-Computer Interaction › Gaze Tracking and Assistive Technology
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition › Visual Attention and Saliency Detection
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Visual perception and processing mechanisms
Keywords
eye tracking, research question formulation, oculomotor control, reading, scene perception, visual expertise, instructional design, hypothesis testing
MeSH terms
Eye-Tracking Technology, Eye Movements, Humans, Research Design, Visual Perception

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