Eye Movements and Problem Solving: Guiding Attention Guides Thought

Overt visual attention during diagram-based problem solving, as measured by eye movements, has been used in numerous studies to reveal critical aspects of the problem-solving process that traditional measures like solution time and accuracy cannot address. In Experiment 1, we used this methodology t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychological science 2003-09, Vol.14 (5), p.462-466
Main Authors: Grant, Elizabeth R., Spivey, Michael J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Animation
Attention
Cognition
Cognitive psychology
Concept Formation
Diagrams
Eye Movements
Eyes & eyesight
Female
Fixation, Ocular
Humans
Imagination
Lasers
Male
Memory
Orientation
Pattern Recognition, Visual
Problem Solving
Psychology
Saccades
Sight
Thinking
Tumors
Visual perception
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Summary:Overt visual attention during diagram-based problem solving, as measured by eye movements, has been used in numerous studies to reveal critical aspects of the problem-solving process that traditional measures like solution time and accuracy cannot address. In Experiment 1, we used this methodology to show that particular fixation patterns correlate with success in solving the tumor-and-lasers radiation problem. Given this correlation between attention to a particular diagram feature and problem-solving insight, we investigated participants' cognitive sensitivity to perceptual changes in that diagram feature. In Experiment 2, we found that perceptually highlighting the critical diagram component, identified in Experiment 1, significantly increased the frequency of correct solutions. Taking a situated perspective on cognition, we suggest that environmentally controlled perceptual properties can guide attention and eye movements in ways that assist in developing problem-solving insights that dramatically improve reasoning.
ISSN:0956-7976
1467-9280
DOI:10.1111/1467-9280.02454