When are pictures processed on a webpage?

Several cognitive models like CoLiDeS and CoLiDeS + Pic are developed to simulate Web navigation. CoLiDeS + Pic assumes that information provided by pictures on a Web page is processed at the beginning of processing a page. In the current experiment we verified this assumption by using eye-fixation data of participants. We varied the pictures based on their relevancy (low or high relevant to the content of a page) and position (left or right). We also manipulated the user´s goal by giving specific tasks to one group and asking another group to simply browse the Web site. We performed mixed ANOVAs on the eye-fixation data. Our results show that pictures were processed particularly during the initial 10% of the total time spent on a webpage. Also left-positioned and high-relevant pictures were processed relatively longer at early intervals. However no difference was found between the task-oriented and simple-browse groups.