An Eye-Tracking Study of Visual Strategies in Crime Scene Investigations

Abstract

This study examines how prior knowledge and formal instruction shape visual attention during crime scene investigation (CSI). Using a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design, we compared a prior-knowledge cadet group (n = 21), a novice cadet group (n = 30), and an expert reference group of active forensic investigators (n = 13). Participants viewed authentic crime-scene photographs while gaze data were recorded for key-evidence and distractor areas of interest (AOIs). Eleven eye-tracking metrics and Lag Sequential Analysis (LSA) were used to characterize attention allocation and gaze transitions. Results show that prior knowledge guided evidence-oriented viewing before instruction, that both student groups improved after one semester of CSI training through different visual-learning pathways, and that eye-tracking detected differences not captured by written tests. The findings support differentiated CSI instruction and the use of formative gaze feedback in law-enforcement education.