Shared-gaze collaborative search experiment

Shared-gaze technology can improve paired individuals' performance in challenging visual search tasks (Brennan et al., 2008; Neider et al., 2010). To better characterize collaborative search behavior, the current study measured parallel channel efficiency by workload capacity (Townsend and Nozawa, 1995), for pairs of searchers performing a speeded visual search task with or without shared-gaze cursors. Workload capacity was calculated based on the response time of the first searcher to report the target (CzOR) and based on the response time of the second searcher to report it (CzAND). Under shared-gaze conditions, CzAND scores indicated highly efficient performance, but CzOR scores indicated performance losses. Shared-gaze displays reduced the time necessary for the second searcher to confirm a target after the first searcher had found it, but increased the time needed for the first searchers' target detection. Results imply limits on the benefits of shared gaze displays in difficult visual search tasks.