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The fundamentals of eye tracking part 5 : The importance of piloting

Hessels, Roy S. ; Niehorster, Diederick C. LU orcid ; Nyström, Marcus LU orcid ; Andersson, Richard LU ; Holleman, Gijs A. and Hooge, Ignace T.C. LU (2025) In Behavior Research Methods 57(8).
Abstract

The goal of this article is to demonstrate the importance of pilot studies in empirical eye-tracking research. First, we show what can go wrong when proper pilot experiments are omitted for all phases of an eye-tracking study, from testing an experiment, conducting the data collection, to building, revising, and interpreting the data analysis. Second, we describe a series of eye-tracking studies as a case study, and elaborate on all the pilot experiments that were conducted. We highlight what was learned from each pilot experiment when conceiving, designing, and conducting the research. Finally, we give practical advice for eye-tracking researchers on planning and conducting pilot experiments. This advice can be summarized as (1) take... (More)

The goal of this article is to demonstrate the importance of pilot studies in empirical eye-tracking research. First, we show what can go wrong when proper pilot experiments are omitted for all phases of an eye-tracking study, from testing an experiment, conducting the data collection, to building, revising, and interpreting the data analysis. Second, we describe a series of eye-tracking studies as a case study, and elaborate on all the pilot experiments that were conducted. We highlight what was learned from each pilot experiment when conceiving, designing, and conducting the research. Finally, we give practical advice for eye-tracking researchers on planning and conducting pilot experiments. This advice can be summarized as (1) take enough time, (2) be problem-oriented, (3) pilots are of an iterative nature, (4) many questions are empirical, and (5) apply the four-eyes principle. We envision that the present article helps early career researchers discover, and more established researchers rediscover, the utility of pilot experiments.

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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Empirical cycle, Experiment design, Eye movements, Eye tracking, Pilot studies
in
Behavior Research Methods
volume
57
issue
8
article number
216
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • pmid:40603646
  • scopus:105009965693
ISSN
1554-351X
DOI
10.3758/s13428-025-02737-9
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2025.
id
afa01d0e-40c5-4807-843d-8bd31261b17d
date added to LUP
2025-07-21 10:32:08
date last changed
2025-07-23 02:49:58
@article{afa01d0e-40c5-4807-843d-8bd31261b17d,
  abstract     = {{<p>The goal of this article is to demonstrate the importance of pilot studies in empirical eye-tracking research. First, we show what can go wrong when proper pilot experiments are omitted for all phases of an eye-tracking study, from testing an experiment, conducting the data collection, to building, revising, and interpreting the data analysis. Second, we describe a series of eye-tracking studies as a case study, and elaborate on all the pilot experiments that were conducted. We highlight what was learned from each pilot experiment when conceiving, designing, and conducting the research. Finally, we give practical advice for eye-tracking researchers on planning and conducting pilot experiments. This advice can be summarized as (1) take enough time, (2) be problem-oriented, (3) pilots are of an iterative nature, (4) many questions are empirical, and (5) apply the four-eyes principle. We envision that the present article helps early career researchers discover, and more established researchers rediscover, the utility of pilot experiments.</p>}},
  author       = {{Hessels, Roy S. and Niehorster, Diederick C. and Nyström, Marcus and Andersson, Richard and Holleman, Gijs A. and Hooge, Ignace T.C.}},
  issn         = {{1554-351X}},
  keywords     = {{Empirical cycle; Experiment design; Eye movements; Eye tracking; Pilot studies}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{8}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Behavior Research Methods}},
  title        = {{The fundamentals of eye tracking part 5 : The importance of piloting}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3758/s13428-025-02737-9}},
  doi          = {{10.3758/s13428-025-02737-9}},
  volume       = {{57}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}