When are pictures processed on a webpage?

Several cognitive models like CoLiDeS and CoLiDeS + Pic are developed to simulate Web navigation. CoLiDeS + Pic assumes that information provided by pictures on a Web page is processed at the beginning of processing a page. In the current experiment we verified this assumption by using eye-fixation data of participants. We varied the pictures based on their relevancy (low or high relevant to the content of a page) and position (left or right). We also manipulated the user's goal by giving specific tasks to one group and asking another group to simply browse the Web site. We performed mixed ANOVAs on the eye-fixation data. Our results show that pictures were processed particularly during the initial 10% of the total time spent on a webpage. Also left-positioned and high-relevant pictures were processed relatively longer at early intervals. However no difference was found between the task-oriented and simple-browse groups.

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