Eye Tracking

Abstract

This entry provides an introduction to eye‐tracking methods, including assumptions of the method, basic terminology for eye movements, and practical considerations for conducting eye‐tracking research. Eye tracking is a type of psychophysiological method that provides researchers with detailed information about participant eye movements. Modern‐day eye trackers give researchers a user‐friendly way to record eye movements while participants view stimuli. In doing so, eye tracking affords researchers the opportunity to discern participant attention to specific parts of a text or stimulus. Examining the amount of time participants focus on areas of interest can provide information about attention, whereas analysis of the eye movements and characteristics can provide information about arousal, fatigue, and cognitive load. This method is especially promising in application to media psychology theories that explore message processing differences.