Status conspicuity, peripheral vision, and text editing
DEREK SCOTT · Behaviour and Information Technology · 1993
This HCI study involved use of both an automated keystroke protocol analyser and eye movement monitoring equipment. Four levels of peripheral salience (conspicuity) of status information were employed. This increased the possibility of using peripheral vision whilst decreasing the probability of relying on eye movements. Superior performance was found in the condition with high conspicuity. It was suggested that this was accounted for by the relative lack of disruptive saccades, reading and relocating one's place. The main study was supported by a fine-grained eye movement analysis of the visual tasks involved. It was concluded that the peripheral presentation of text-editing status information is at present grossly underused, perhaps particularly so for novices.