Аннотация:Introduction: In this study we tried to locate oculomotor parameter
differences in people with different chemistry competences when
reading texts and analyzing schemes, describing chemical processes.
We suggested that eye movement patterns differ between the two
groups (experts and novices), across a range of eye movement measures:
average fixation duration, average fixation duration on AOI, AOI revisits,
fixation count, blinks.
Methods: Participants in the study were 35 chemists (age range
18-55) with two different levels of expertise: 18 chemistry experts,
17 novices. There were 4 trials for each subject. Each trial included 1)
reading a text describing a chemical process; 2) solving t problems in
the form of graphs, using information from the text: filling empty
cells in circuits; indicating errors; swapping elements to maintain
the correct structure of the chemical process. Time was unlimited
both at the stage of reading the text, and at the problem solving
stage. Stimuli were presented on a 23-inch screen with a 1920x1080
pixel resolution, using the software Experiment Center from SMI. The
search rate and eye movement data were recorded with an SMI
iViewX Hi-Speed 1250 tracker (sampling rate 500Hz) with head
support and the corresponding SMI software iVewX.
Main results: It is found that experts are significantly faster in all
types of tasks (F(1,139)=69,88, pb0,01). Also experts have more
correct answers (F(1,139)=10,79, pb0,01). Novices have longer blinks
duration when they read texts and solve problems (F(1,139) =28.87,
pb0.01). It shows that the problems present greater complexity for
novices and thus require greater effort. There are no differences in eye
movements between groups of experts and novices in reading texts.
Analysis of eye movement in graphical tasks showed that experts are
characterized by longer fixations, which concentrate on significant
areas of graphical representations of tasks (F(1,139)=8.77, pb0.01).
Novices generally have shorter fixations, which are evenly distributed
in relation to the location of separate elements of the problem. It is
also found that experts make less transitions between AOI than
novices (F(1,139)=88.01, pb0.01).
Conclusions: Experts spend less time solving problems and solve
problems more correctly due to less effort. The obtained data can
be interpreted as evidence of the existence of two different strategies
in task performance. Novices use perceptual strategy, which is aimed
at extracting as much information as possible from the presented
graph. Experts use more effective cognitive strategy, which is based
on previous knowledge and mental representations, sustained in
working memory.