The Utility of Webcam Eye-Tracking: Lessons Learned and Practical Applications in Decision-Making and Digital Human-Computer Interactions
Creators: Bertrand, Jennifer K
Publisher: name: University of Alberta Library
Year: 2023

<p>In the realm of contemporary research, especially after a global pandemic, the potential of remotely-collected webcam eye-tracking has emerged as a promising yet relatively uncharted avenue. This thesis aims to both uncover and bolster the utility of this method in understanding human behaviors, navigating the intricate trade-offs it presents. </p>

<pre><code>Chapter 1 gives context to the aim of this thesis by providing a panoramic view of eye-tracking, remote and online experimentation, and the unique challenges that they present when combined to form remote webcam eye-tracking. 

In Chapter 2, we endeavoured to understand the utility of webcam eye-tracking as a tool to explore the persistence of eye-hand coordination patterns within digitized object interactions.  Operating within a fully remote experimental setup, we successfully deployed a digital drag-and-drop cursor movement task with webcam eye-tracking, gathering complete datasets from 51 participants who used their own web-cameras as eye-trackers. Our results demonstrate the usefulness of webcam eye-tracking by capturing robust eye-cursor dynamics, and further reveal novel empirical insights about the adaptability of the visuomotor system in a digital domain. 

Chapter 3 pivots to evaluate the practical utility of webcam eye-tracking within a binary choice decision-making domain. Building off of prior cursor-tracking work and established binary choice tasks, we deployed our webcam eye-tracking study to 100 remote, crowdsourced participants. With webcam eye-tracking, we found decision-difficulty effect earlier than what cursor-tracking alone could provide, demonstrating the utility of webcam eye-tracking. In addition, webcam eye-tracking afforded us the opportunity to capture more nuanced decision-making processes as they relate to gaze-driven information sampling, adding depth to the method&#39;s usefulness.

Accompanying these investigations, Chapter 4 serves as a comprehensive, practical guide, crystallizing lessons from the challenging process of applying webcam eye-tracking to our chosen domains. Beyond its value as a collection of invaluable tips, the chapter leverages evidence from the previous studies, providing evidence-based recommendations on data quality, participant engagement, and experimental costs.

This thesis concludes with Chapter 5, providing a reflective perspective when revisiting the contributions made in the previous chapters. Analyzing the method&#39;s utility and its empirical implications, my definition of utility evolves to be more broad and holistic. I contemplate the future of eye-tracking technology from various angles, and conclude this thesis with personal reflections on the challenges and rewards of harnessing webcam eye-tracking.

In summary, this thesis showcases the potential of remotely-collected webcam eye-tracking in comprehending human behaviors. From eye-hand coordination to decision-making, and from practical guidance to future implications, the research paints a compelling narrative of webcam eye-tracking&#39;s utility, bridging the gap between remote data collection and nuanced insights into human behavior.
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