The Gaze Cueing Effect describes the phenomenon that another person's line of vision automatically guides the attention and behavior of the observer. When a person focuses their gaze on a particular point, observers tend to shift their attention there as well, even without conscious decision. This behavior is deeply rooted in social interactions and plays an essential role in non-verbal communication and shared understanding in interpersonal relationships.
Origin
The Gaze Cueing Effect was first studied by psychologists Friesen and Kingstone in 1998 and published in their study "Gaze Direction and the Orienting of Attention: A Reflexive Response to Experimenter Cues". Their research showed how automated shifts in attention are triggered by the direction of other people's gaze, thus illustrating fundamental mechanisms of social perception.
- Friesen, C. K., & Kingstone, A. (1998). Gaze direction and the orienting of attention: A reflexive response to experimenter cues. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 24(4), 1656–1674.
Application in UX and UI design
In UX and UI design, the Gaze Cueing Effect can be used to make user guidance intuitive. By consciously placing elements that direct the user's gaze in certain directions, designers can make navigation and interaction "purposeful".
In addition, the Gaze Cueing Effect can be used in the design of tutorials or guided tours within an application. By using visual cues such as arrows or animated lines of sight, complex processes or functions can be conveyed more comprehensibly without the need for additional explanatory texts. This increases user-friendliness and reduces the cognitive load on the user.
