To me the assertion that users read buttons the same direction they read text is bogus.
I'm an OS X user and I'm trained to read the right most button first as it has the description of what will happen (Save, Log Out etc.) Often it means I don't even have to read the rest of the dialog.
As others have pointed out, this indicates the whole idea that users will read all the options is bogus. But even when I do read them all (marginally complex set of options presented, or high risk scenario) I read the right most one first before skipping back to read left to right because I'm trained to skip to the right most button at the bottom of a dialog.
This invalidates much of the analysis on visual fixations and comes to the conclusion that placing the primary action on the left actually makes it easier under certain conditions (it's easier to track back to the left most button than to the right most).
It just goes to show that training can affect behaviour. If you did extensive eye-tracking tests explaining you're looking for high accuracy, with people who are unfamiliar with technology or who are used to the primary action being on the left, placing the primary action on the right will lead to less effort. But as the user is trained, the effort would probably increase.
I'm an OS X user and I'm trained to read the right most button first as it has the description of what will happen (Save, Log Out etc.) Often it means I don't even have to read the rest of the dialog.
As others have pointed out, this indicates the whole idea that users will read all the options is bogus. But even when I do read them all (marginally complex set of options presented, or high risk scenario) I read the right most one first before skipping back to read left to right because I'm trained to skip to the right most button at the bottom of a dialog.
This invalidates much of the analysis on visual fixations and comes to the conclusion that placing the primary action on the left actually makes it easier under certain conditions (it's easier to track back to the left most button than to the right most).
It just goes to show that training can affect behaviour. If you did extensive eye-tracking tests explaining you're looking for high accuracy, with people who are unfamiliar with technology or who are used to the primary action being on the left, placing the primary action on the right will lead to less effort. But as the user is trained, the effort would probably increase.