A systematic of eye and gaze movement parameters for ergonomic research
and application
Matthias Roetting
Institute of
Industrial Engineering and Ergonomics, Aachen University of Technology
Bergdriesch 27, 52062 Aachen, Germany
Phone +49 (0)241 409 01 76, Fax +49 (0)241 888 81 31
Email: matthias@roetting.de
Luczak et al. (1987)
introduced a concept of ergonomics, differentiating seven levels. An individual
person is in the focus of the first three levels and groups of persons are in
the focus of the four higher levels. For all seven levels Luczak (e.g. 1997)
describes the focus and the models guiding ergonomic task analysis. The focus
of levels one to three, concentrating on an individual person, can be described
as follows:
1. Determination
of physiological costs (costs of information processing and energetic
expenditure for task items, task components and entire tasks).
2. Explanation,
calculation and prediction of times (for task constituents and combined tasks).
3. Analysis
of human-machine-interaction (comparison of different versions of
human-machine-interaction in several dimensions, e.g. requirements, demands,
stability, errors).
Rötting (2001) assigned parameters of eye and gaze movements to these
three levels of task analysis. Based on an extensive literature review a large
number of eye and gaze movement parameters was described. Parameters are based
on raw data, the characteristics of saccades or fixations, the scan path or are
a combination with other measurements. The description of the different
parameters consist of its name (or names), a definition of the parameter and
how it is operationalized, common values and a discussion of the parameter, its
physiological basics, how it can be interpreted and how it relates to other
parameters. The different parameters were than assigned to the different levels
of task analysis. On level one (”Determination of physiological costs”) there
are eye and gaze movement parameters that reflect changes in arousal, describe
levels of fatigue and vigilance, changes in the visual field, the “cost” of
moving the eye and changes due to a secondary task. On the second level
(”Explanation, calculation and prediction of times”) there are parameters that
relate to the duration of information acquisition and information processing,
the duration of eye transitions and the duration of search processes. Level
three (”Analysis of human-machine-interaction”) parameters help in the analysis
of the spatial layout of the human-machine-interface, of search processes, of
information acquisition and information processing tasks and of levels of
processing.
The
systematic can guide researchers in the design of their experiments, can help
in the selection of parameters and eye movement recording equipment. In
addition, the systematic can be used in the design of ”eye aware interfaces”
and in the design of operator state monitoring systems.
Luczak, H. et al. (1987). Arbeitswissenschaft
- Kerndefinition - Gegenstandskatalog - Forschungsgebiete. Eschborn:
Rationalisierungs-Kuratorium der Deutschen Wirtschaft (RKW) e.V.
Luczak, H. (1997). Task Analysis. In G. Salvendy
(Ed.). Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics (340-415).Chichester: Wiley.
Rötting,
M. (2001). Parametersystematik der Augen- und
Blickbewegungen für arbeitswissenschaftliche Untersuchungen. Doctoral dissertation, Aachen University of
Technology. Aachen: Shaker.