Innovation, possibilities and limitations in the use of an eye tracker in science communication research: a study on the importance of the source of information in health news

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29397/reciis.v15i4.2294

Keywords:

Science communication, Eye tracker, Fake news, Misinformation and health, Journalism.

Abstract

Our study, the result of an international partnership, sought to assess the importance given by 23 readers to the name of the publication source for four different texts on health topics, using an innovative methodology in the academic study field of scientific communication – an eye tracker. With an eye tracker, it is possible to map at every moment the reader’s eyes and points of fixation of the eye on the text, indicating the reader’s attention. Although the source of publication is considered an important criterion for the credibility of the information, our results, from the analysis of 35,394 measurements of fixations measured by the eye tracker, indicate the little importance given to the name of the publication source, even though the text presents fake news characteristics.

Author Biographies

Luís Amorim, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Casa de Oswaldo Cruz. Rio de Janeiro, RJ

Doutorado em Ensino em Biociências e Saúde, Ensino de Ciências pela Fundação Oswaldo Cruz.

Luisa Massarani, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Casa de Oswaldo Cruz. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil. Instituto Nacional de Comunicação Pública da Ciência e Tecnologia. Rio de Janeiro, RJ

Doutorado na Área de Gestão da Educação e Difusão em Biociências pela Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro.

Thierry Baccino, Université Paris 8. Sanit-Denis, Île-de-France,

Doutorado em Psicologia Cognitiva pela Aix-Marseille Université.

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Published

2021-11-10

How to Cite

Amorim, L., Massarani, L., & Baccino, T. (2021). Innovation, possibilities and limitations in the use of an eye tracker in science communication research: a study on the importance of the source of information in health news. Revista Eletrônica De Comunicação, Informação & Inovação Em Saúde, 15(4). https://doi.org/10.29397/reciis.v15i4.2294

Issue

Vol. 15 No. 4 (2021): Dossiê Estudos métricos da informação científica em saúde, parte 1

Section

Original articles

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