Older adults fail to see the periphery in a Web site task

Abstract

Eye movement deficiencies are inherent with age and tend to increase in distracting visual fields, in the useful field of view (UFoV), and when information is located in the periphery. Despite well-known age-related differences in eye movement, there has been limited empirical study into how older adults look at Web sites. The study of eye movement during Web site interaction is advantageous to the study of UFoV theory because Web sites are typically complex, with important navigational elements located in the periphery. Using non-invasive eye tracking, eye movement patterns were investigated in young, middle, and older adults while they initially interacted with a typical Web site (i.e., standard top and left navigation). Older adults looked less frequently at peripheral parts of the screen compared to young adults, with the left and top navigation accounting for the greatest age-related differences. Age-related differences in eye movement emerged during the initial 10 s and were independent from Internet experience, suggesting differences in eye movement while interacting with Web sites are inherent with aging. Results show age-related differences in eye movement during a Web site task. These applied, experimental results directly support UFoV cognitive theory in a real-world setting.