A fixation is assigned to an Interest Area if its average gaze position—calculated from all the data samples that make up that fixation—falls within that area's boundaries.
The easiest way to understand this is in the Spatial Overlay view, where the center of each fixation circle represents this average position:
To determine which IA a fixation was assigned to, generate a Fixation Report via Analysis > Reports > Fixation Report.
In the report, look for variables beginning with CURRENT_FIX_INTEREST_AREA. The following are particularly useful:
For Overlapping Interest Areas
For details on how fixations are handled when Interest Areas overlap, please refer to the guide: How do events get assigned to multiple overlapping Interest Areas?
The easiest way to understand this is in the Spatial Overlay view, where the center of each fixation circle represents this average position:
- Center: The center of the circle marks the average (X, Y) gaze position for that fixation. You can view the precise pixel coordinates in the Inspector window (look for Avg. X Position and Avg. Y Position).
- Size: The diameter of the circle represents the fixation's duration.
To determine which IA a fixation was assigned to, generate a Fixation Report via Analysis > Reports > Fixation Report.
In the report, look for variables beginning with CURRENT_FIX_INTEREST_AREA. The following are particularly useful:
- CURRENT_FIX_INTEREST_AREA_ID: The numerical ID of the IA.
- CURRENT_FIX_INTEREST_AREA_LABEL: The text label of the IA.
For Overlapping Interest Areas
For details on how fixations are handled when Interest Areas overlap, please refer to the guide: How do events get assigned to multiple overlapping Interest Areas?