À espera no hospital: onde param os seus olhos?

Este estudo tem como objetivo perceber para onde se dirige o olhar dos indivíduos que aguardam a chamada do médico, sentados numa sala de espera de hospital. Queremos saber que elementos decorativos atraem a atenção visual dos pacientes, quando se encontram numa situação de incerteza em relação à sua condição de saúde. Estamos interessados, concretamente, em dois elementos decorativos: quatros de pintura abstrata – porque aumentam a ansiedade – e plantas, que auxiliam no controlo da ansiedade. Conduzimos uma experiência assente no cenário projetado de uma sala de espera, onde colocámos uma planta e um quadro de pintura abstrata. Utilizámos uma ferramenta para medir os movimentos oculares (eye tracker), de forma a perceber para onde se dirige a atenção visual dos indivíduos (n = 49) durante a situação de espera simulada. Os resultados mostraram que os participantes fixaram mais vezes o quadro durante o período de visualização do cenário. Mostraram ainda que os participantes que olharam mais frequentemente para a planta, revelaram menor desconforto no final. Concluímos, então, que o quadro de pintura abstrata foi, inequivocamente, o elemento ao qual os participantes deram mais atenção visual. Percebemos também que olhar para a planta permitiu que, mesmo sem consciência disso, os participantes revelassem menos desconforto. Defendemos, portanto, que é importante não só a existência de elementos decorativos numa sala de espera, mas também que estes sejam efetivamente vistos e perscrutados, implicando que se encontrem dentro do campo de visão dos indivíduos em espera no recurso a um serviço de saúde não urgente.This study aims to understand the gaze direction of individuals who wait their turn to be seen by the doctor, sitting in the waiting room of a hospital. We want to know what are the decorative elements that attract the visual attention of patients, when these patients are facing a situation of uncertainty regarding their health condition. We are interested , specifically, in two decorative elements : abstract paintings - because they increase anxiety - and plants, that help control anxiogenic states . We conducted an experiment based on the projected scenario of a waiting room , where we placed a plant and an abstract painting. We used a tool for measuring eye movements (eye tracker) , in order to understand where to individuals (n = 49) direct their visual attention when they are going through a period of anxiety. The results showed that participants observed the painting a lot more during its display on this waiting room. They also showed that the participants who directed their gaze more often to the plant, reported less discomfort in the end. We concluded that the abstract painting was, definitely, the element that capture the visual attention of the participants most of the times. And we also realized that looking at the plant allowed the participants to feel less distress, even if they weren't aware of that fact. We argue, therefore, that it is important not only the existence of such stimuli in a waiting room, but also that these stimuli are effectively seen and scrutinized, implying that they should be within the field of vision of the refered individuals, who are waiting for non-urgent medical care

The development and evaluation of gaze selection techniques

Eye gaze interaction enables users to interact with computers using their eyes. A wide variety of eye gaze interaction techniques have been developed to support this type of interaction. Gaze selection techniques, a class of eye gaze interaction techniques which support target selection, are the subject of this research. Researchers developing these techniques face a number of challenges. The most significant challenge is the limited accuracy of eye tracking equipment (due to the properties of the human eye). The design of gaze selection techniques is dominated by this constraint. Despite decades of research, existing techniques are still significantly less accurate than the mouse. A recently developed technique, EyePoint, represents the state of the art in gaze selection techniques. EyePoint combines gaze input with keyboard input. Evaluation results for this technique are encouraging, but accuracy is still a concern. Early trigger errors, resulting from users triggering a selection before looking at the intended target, were found to be the most commonly occurring errors for this technique. The primary goal of this research was to improve the usability of gaze selection techniques. In order to achieve this goal, novel gaze selection techniques were developed. New techniques were developed by combining elements of existing techniques in novel ways. Seven novel gaze selection techniques were developed. Three of these techniques were selected for evaluation. A software framework was developed for implementing and evaluating gaze selection techniques. This framework was used to implement the gaze selection techniques developed during this research. Implementing and evaluating all of the techniques using a common framework ensured consistency when comparing the techniques. The novel techniques which were developed were evaluated against EyePoint and the mouse using the framework. The three novel techniques evaluated were named TargetPoint, StaggerPoint and ScanPoint. TargetPoint combines motor space expansion with a visual feedback highlight whereas the StaggerPoint and TargetPoint designs explore novel approaches to target selection disambiguation. A usability evaluation of the three novel techniques alongside EyePoint and the mouse revealed some interesting trends. TargetPoint was found to be more usable and accurate than EyePoint. This novel technique also proved more popular with test participants. One aspect of TargetPoint which proved particularly popular was the visual feedback highlight, a feature which was found to be a more effective method of combating early trigger errors than existing approaches. StaggerPoint was more efficient than EyePoint, but was less effective and satisfying. ScanPoint was the least popular technique. The benefits of providing a visual feedback highlight and test participants' positive views thereof contradict views expressed in existing research regarding the usability of visual feedback. These results have implications for the design of future gaze selection techniques. A set of design principles was developed for designing new gaze selection techniques. The designers of gaze selection techniques can benefit from these design principles by applying them to their technique