Determining visual behavioral characteristics of historical landscape areas: an eye-tracking study

This study aims to determine visual behavioral characteristics in historical landscape areas through eye-tracking technology and statistical analysis. Within the scope of the research, landscape images of Dolmabahçe and Topkapı Palaces, which are significant cultural heritage sites in Turkey, were examined in the context of participants’ visual behaviors and subjective preferences. Eye-tracking experiments were conducted with 34 volunteer participants. The eye-tracking metrics used in the study included Fixation Count (FC) and Average Fixation Duration (AFD). Correlations between subjective preference data and eye-tracking metrics were determined using Point-Biserial analysis, while correlations between landscape elements and eye-tracking metrics were identified using Spearman’s Rho analysis. The level of consensus among participants was measured using the Kendall’s W test. The findings revealed that tree, sculpture, and flower landscape elements were the strongest visual focal points and showed a highly significant correlation (p < 0.01) with participant preferences. Furthermore, while natural landscape elements recorded the longest average fixation duration, artificial landscape elements accounted for the highest fixation count. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that eye-tracking data can be utilized as a scientific decision-support mechanism and a tangible design strategy in the preservation and sustainable management processes of historical landscape areas.