Solving problems: How can guidance concerning task-relevancy be provided?

The analysis of eye movements of people working on problem solving tasks has enabled a more thorough understanding than would have been possible with a traditional analysis of cognitive behavior. Recent studies report that influencing 'where we look' can affect task performance. However, some of the studies that reported these results have shortcomings, namely, it is unclear whether the reported effects are the result of 'attention guidance' or an effect of highlighting display elements alone; second, the selection of the highlighted display elements was based on subjective methods which could have introduced bias. In the study reported here, two experiments are described that attempt to address these shortcomings. Experiment 1 investigates the relative contribution of each display element to successful task realization and does so with an objective analysis method, namely signal detection analysis. Experiment 2 examines whether any performance effects of highlighting are due to foregrounding intrinsic task-relevant aspects or whether they are a result of the act of highlighting in itself. Results show that the chosen objective method is effective and that highlighting the display element thus identified improves task performance significantly. These findings are not an effect of the highlighting per se and thus indicate that the highlighted element is conveying task-relevant information. These findings improve on previous results as the objective selection and analysis methods reduce potential bias and provide a more reliable input to the design and provision of computer-based problem solving support. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.