• Khizar Zaman Choudhry
• Richard Coles
• Robert Ashford
• Salim Khan
• Rabia R Mir

Abstract: The majority of existing landscape research has been derived by conducting heuristic evaluations, without having empirical insight of real participants’ visual responses. In this research, a modern multimodal measurement approach (using Eye tracking and Narratives) was applied to investigate visual behaviour in perceiving naturalistic and urban environments. This research is unique in exploring gaze behaviour on environmental images possessing different levels of saliency. Eye behaviour is predominantly attracted by salient locations. The concept of methodology of this research on naturalistic and urban environments is drawn from the approaches used in market research. Borrowing methodologies from market research that examine visual responses and qualities provided a critical and hitherto unexplored approach. This research has been conducted by using a mixed methods approach. The results of this research corroborated existing landscape research findings, but they also identified potential enhancements to the published research itself and the methodology adopted in the previous research. This study focused on initial impressions of environmental images with the help of eye tracking. Taking into consideration the importance of the image, this study explored the factors that influence initial fixations in relation to expectations and preferences. This research contributes both methodologically and empirically to Human-Environment Interaction (HEI). In terms of key findings, this research identified that each participant has a unique navigation style whilst surfing through different elements of landscape images. This individual navigation style is termed the ‘Visual Signature’ which in this study is defined as an individual pattern of fixations which emerge as a result of involuntary initial response within the first 3-5 seconds after exposure to a naturalistic or urban image.

Human-Environment Interaction (HEI), multimodal measurement, eye tracking and narratives

"A multimodal measurement approach using Eye tracking and Narratives to investigate visual behaviour in perceiving naturalistic and urban environments", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.2, Issue 4, page no.1236-1242, April-2015, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1504073.pdf

"A multimodal measurement approach using Eye tracking and Narratives to investigate visual behaviour in perceiving naturalistic and urban environments", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.2, Issue 4, page no. pp1236-1242, April-2015, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1504073.pdf