2020/09/30 by Kuno Kurzhals, Kurzhals, Kuno, Michael Burch +3
Computer Science · Psychology · #Data Visualization and Analytics #FOS: Computer and information sciences #Gaze Tracking and Assistive Technology #Human-Computer Interaction (cs.HC) #Visual and Cognitive Learning Processes
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2009.14515
openalex publication_date 2020/09/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Technical progress in hardware and software enables us to record gaze data in everyday situations and over long time spans. Among a multitude of research opportunities, this technology enables visualization researchers to catch a glimpse behind performance measures and into the perceptual and cognitive processes of people using visualization techniques. The majority of eye tracking studies performed for visualization research is limited to the analysis of gaze distributions and aggregated statistics, thus only covering a small portion of insights that can be derived from gaze data. We argue that incorporating theories and methodology from psychology and cognitive science will benefit the design and evaluation of eye tracking experiments for visualization. This position paper outlines our experiences with eye tracking in visualization and states the benefits that an interdisciplinary research field on visualization psychology might bring for better understanding how people interpret visualizations.