Eye Tracking

Abstract

Eye-tracking methodologies are becoming a common research tool for those in the field of health communication research. The process-tracking method allows researchers to collect an objective assessment of visual behavior. Eye movements and positions are seen as indicators of the uptake of visual information that provide insights into the cognitive processes underlying a wide variety of human health communication and information-related behaviors. Most health communication studies using eye tracking were conducted in the USA, relied on remote/stationary eye trackers, used eye tracking mostly in combination with a survey, and had small sample sizes consisting mostly of university or high school students. The studies often analyzed the effect of stimuli on different dependent variables. The most used stimulus type was static (e.g., images or websites). The most frequently used dependent variable was attention. Attention is a crucial antecedent to the persuasive intent of many health-related messages, studied by scholars seeking to understand how to promote healthy behavior.