Abstract: Searching strategy is a direct cognitive control process that guides the visual focus to the target object. This study use eye tracking technique, visual searching time, and separation of mouse clicking time. The goal is to understand visual searching, searching strategies, and Item Highlighting. The conclusions are as follows: (1)In the process of searching item, Participants employed different searching strategies, Participants used directive strategy when provided with item highlighting, use serial search strategy when no provided with item highlighting; (2) When participants employed directive strategy ,the percent of the number of first fixation in the first area of interest is less than 58.3%, and when employed serial strategy ,the percent is more than 58.3%; (3) When employed directive strategy in the process of searching ,the number of fixation ,scan track and fixation time are salience less than when employed serial strategy. (4) Participants used directive strategy can salience shorten participants’ visual search time, improve visual search performance , but can’t shorten the time spending on mouse clicking; (5) Item highlighting changed the visual search strategy, and so improve the visual search performance.

Key words: visual search strategy, eye movement tracking, directive search strategy, serial search strategy