A model to simulate web users' eye movements

Abstract

One of the most important tasks on the Web is foraging information. In this study, we present a computational model which simulates human eye movements during information seeking in Web pages. Human visual scanpaths are guided by their information needs, by the visual features of the stimuli and by what they previously processed. Our model takes into account both semantic (top-down) and visual (bottom-up) information, as well as a memory model in order to predict the focus of attention. Our model operates at the block level, but also at the word level. To validate this model, both participants and model were asked to seek information in a pseudo online newspaper. We find good correspondence between simulated and empirically observed scanpaths. Knowing where the user is looking at while searching for information is crucial for evaluating the usability of Web sites and contribute to the design of Web pages. © 2009 Springer.