eyegaze

Eyegaze refers to the direction of a person’s gaze—the point in the visual field toward which the eyes are directed at a given moment. In practice, eyegaze is measured with eye-tracking technology, which uses cameras and often infrared illumination to detect features of the eye such as the pupil and corneal reflections. The data are mapped to a coordinate system to produce a continuous gaze point over time.

Eye movements comprise fixations, saccades, and smooth pursuit. Eyegaze data are analyzed to determine where and for how long a person looks at objects, how quickly the gaze shifts between targets, and patterns of attention during tasks. Gaze patterns can inform inferences about cognitive processing, perception, and reading behavior, though gaze does not always equal attention.

Applications span multiple fields. In psychology and neuroscience, eyegaze studies attention and perception. In usability and human–computer interaction, gaze data guide interface design and user experience evaluation. Market research and advertising use eyegaze to assess visual attention to products and imagery. In education, researchers examine reading and learning processes. Importantly, eyegaze serves as assistive technology for individuals with motor impairments, enabling communication and computer access through gaze-controlled interfaces.

Clinical and ethical considerations include the use of eyegaze in autism research and diagnostics, where gaze patterns are studied in social processing. Privacy and consent concerns arise with eye-tracking data, and technical factors such as calibration, lighting, eyewear, and head movement affect accuracy.