Cultural Influences on Visual Scanning Patterns

Abstract

Visual scanning studies involving more than one cultural group have demonstrated differences in scanning behavior. These studies have all used recall to test for scanning patterns. Eye movement research, which directly records scanning behavior, has traditionally employed Western subjects. The present experiment used eye movement photography to study cultural influences on visual scanning patterns. Thirty adult subjects were tested, representing the Western, Middle Eastern, and East Asian cultures. Data on location of fixations and direction of saccades (horizontal or vertical and right to left or left to right) were collected. No significant differences were found for location of fixations. Data on the direction of saccades revealed significant differences, all of which reflected the reading habits of the different cultures. These data corroborated the results of previous cross-cultural studies.