Aug 2026· Proceedings of Mensch und Computer 2026· 0 citations· 24 references
TL;DR
It is concluded that combining eye tracking and Thinking Aloud is feasible without compromising data quality and meaningful for comprehensive HCI evaluation.
Abstract
Thinking Aloud and eye tracking are common in evaluations of human-computer interaction (HCI), but rarely applied simultaneously – presumably because speaking interferes with eye tracking. We tested to what extent this interference can be overcome with a head-mounted eye-tracking device that enables movements. Participants (N=12) read a text silently, read it aloud, and verbalized their thoughts, while their gaze was tracked. As usual, eye-tracking accuracy slightly decreased with time since calibration, but this was not affected by the act of speaking. Accordingly, we explored the combination of Thinking Aloud and eye tracking in a browser-based software usability test. In further participants (N=6), we found converging evidence for alternative software usage strategies in eye tracking and Thinking Aloud, while each method provided additional insights that were inaccessible to the other. We conclude that combining eye tracking and Thinking Aloud is feasible without compromising data quality and meaningful for comprehensive HCI evaluation.
Eye tracking is a non-invasive method to measure an individual’s cognitive state and visual attention allocation patterns, both of which provide valuable insight into their real-time needs when completing complex tasks. With the availability of low-cost systems and the wealth of available information, eye tracking is ever more common in human factors research and applications. However, access to comprehensive, approachable, and adaptable information on various eye tracking metrics is limited. Therefore, we created a publicly available, goal-driven, interactive guide called Generalized Eye Tracking Metrics (GEMs). It supports the learning of (1) metrics, (2) relevant terminology, and (3) analysis approaches, as it relates to the user’s research questions and experimental setup. Our findings from focus groups, interviews, and usability testing among novices and experts indicated that GEMs is a highly usable information source created by and for eye tracking researchers.
Lauren E. Horde, Shannon P. D. McGarry, Ciara M. Sibley et al.· Proceedings of the Human Fac...· 0 citations
Social intelligence, the ability to interpret others'emotions, beliefs, and intentions, is often assessed with the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET), in which participants infer mental states from images of the eye region. Yet RMET is typically presented on paper or desktop displays, where viewing geometry can vary across participants, and it rarely includes immediate feedback. We investigated whether presentation medium and brief trial-level feedback influence RMET behavior. We implemented RMET in Unity for both desktop and Virtual Reality (VR), using VR to hold stimulus distance and field of view constant without changing the items. We conducted a 2x2 mixed study with 20 participants, with device (VR vs. desktop) manipulated between subjects and feedback (immediate correctness cue vs. none) manipulated within subjects. Eye-tracking and EEG data were recorded and synchronized with behavioral logs. We analyzed fixation-based gaze measures, EEG signals, response time, accuracy, and subjective measures. Immediate feedback was associated with longer fixation durations and higher EEG-based engagement, while no significant differences were observed in task completion time or total correct answers. Presentation medium did not produce reliable differences in the objective measures, but VR received higher usability ratings and was also rated as more effortful. These results provide initial evidence that RMET can be studied as a process-aware assessment task in controlled VR and desktop settings.
To overcome the limitations of conventional design assessment in capturing instant cognition and visual dynamics, this paper proposes a multimodal evaluation method for visual design effectiveness based on eye-tracking technology. By integrating dynamic region-of-interest sequence analysis with retrospective cognitive attribution, the method captures both the spatial flow and temporal dynamics of visual attention. A contextual task is designed to simulate realistic viewing behavior while maintaining experimental control, guiding participants through goal-oriented browsing under standardized presentation conditions. Dynamic region-of-interest sequence analysis is then used to measure gaze retracing rate and evaluate the clarity of information hierarchy. Retrospective interviews and visual entropy analysis are combined to link objective eye-movement trajectories with subjective semantic interpretation. Experimental results show that the method effectively differentiates design effectiveness under different contrast ratios. The high-contrast group has the shortest initial fixation time (180 ± 38 ms) and the lowest gaze retracing rate (26.1 ± 5.9%). Gaze retracing rate is negatively correlated with semantic comprehension accuracy (r = -0.81), supporting continuous evaluation from perception to cognition.
Xinzhen Zhuo, Zhixiong Hu, Yang Lin· Advanced Electromagnetics· 0 citations
BACKGROUND
Assistive technology such as eye-tracking systems can enhance communication, participation, and self-efficacy in individuals with motor impairments. However, in people with cerebral palsy (CP), visual and oculomotor impairments may limit their effective use and reduce participation in daily activities.
PURPOSE
This multiple case study aimed to investigate the effects of eye-gaze-driven games on oculomotor and visual exploration skills in adults with CP, and to assess the usability of the intervention, with the broader goal of facilitating the use of eye-tracking systems as communication tools.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Three young adults with CP participated in a multiple case study. They underwent a pre- and post-intervention visual assessment using eye-tracking metrics. The intervention consisted of training oculomotor abilities through four eye-gaze-driven games for 60 min per session, across five sessions within one week. Usability was assessed using the System Usability Scale. Quantitative data were summarized using descriptive statistics, while visual performance was analyzed qualitatively.
RESULTS
Improvements in fixation precision and visual exploration were observed in two out of three participants, supported by qualitative analysis of gaze patterns. Participants also reported improvements in fixation quality and visual field, along with enhanced self-perceived oculomotor abilities. One participant showed improvement in eye-tracker calibration. Usability scores ranged from 60 to 87.5, indicating good usability.
CONCLUSION
These preliminary findings suggest that eye-gaze-driven games may represent an engaging approach to train oculomotor function in individuals with CP and may serve as a preparatory step for the use of eye-tracking assistive technologies.
Cristina Costantini, C. Salatino, R. Daini· Acta Psychologica· 0 citations
Eye tracking can advance communication research as the technology is increasingly embedded in everyday devices. However, its growing accessibility also raises a critical question: Do communication researchers use eye tracking in ways that expand or limit the field’s ability to ask new questions, refine its concepts and measures, and explain communication phenomena? We make 3 major points. First, we document an eye-tracking monoculture through content analysis of 61 articles drawn from a review of 34 communication journals over the past 35 years. We find that an overwhelming majority (67%) of articles use eye tracking in the same 3-part configuration of measuring attention alone, using eye-tracking measures to operationalize dependent-variable constructs, and relying on fixation-duration metrics. Second, this monoculture can limit the use of eye tracking in developing new constructs, explanations, and metrics. Third, we propose a diversification framework to move beyond this monoculture. The framework encourages researchers to ask: (a) What else can eye tracking study beyond attention? (b) What other roles can eye-tracking measures play beyond dependent variables? (c) What eye-movement metric could make the relevant process visible beyond fixation duration? The framework is a strategy for opening new lines of scientific inquiry that the monoculture is unlikely to generate.
Jason C Coronel, David J. Hendry· Annals of the International...· 0 citations
Eye tracking is a promising research tool for investigating learning processes in immersive virtual reality (IVR). Grounded in cognitive theories of learning, this study proposes a classification of six key learning processes (i.e., cognitive, motivational, affective, social, metacognitive, media-specific) and nine associated constructs (i.e., attention, visual strategy, cognitive load, motivation, emotion, social attention, self-regulation, immersion, usability) measurable through eye tracking in IVR. Using this classification, a systematic review of 38 empirical studies published over a 10-year period (2014 − 2024) was conducted to evaluate the validity of eye-tracking measures. The results showed that the overall validity remains limited with an average score of 48% (± 19%), mainly due to insufficient control of data quality. Measures of cognitive load demonstrated relatively higher validity, likely due to their stronger alignment with performance outcomes. Methodological limitations, such as small sample sizes and dependence on default equipment configurations, were prevalent. To improve validity, future study should strengthen methodological foundations, provide detailed documentation of experimental setups, and use triangulation with complementary data. The classification and validity scoring schemes presented in this study contribute to the theory-driven application of eye tracking in IVR, and offer guidance for improving measurement validity in educational psychology.
J. Y. Lee, Jewoong Moon, Fred Paas et al.· Educational Psychology Revie...· 0 citations
Related blog posts
MIT News · Artificial Intelligence· news.mit.eduAug 17, 2026
A USAF cadet and a Lincoln Laboratory researcher found AI chatbots can help nontechnical service members produce viable software applications for their unique problems.
