Television Infographics as Orienting Response: An Eye-Tracking Study of the Role of Visuospatial Attention in Processing of Television News

Abstract

This experimental study (N = 77) examined the role of infographics in orienting viewer's attention in television news. The results of pupil dilation measurements using the eye-tracking method showed that when used in the over-the-shoulder format, visual representation of numerical data triggers an orienting response and directs the viewer's attention to that part of the screen. The study also showed that bar graphs were more successful in holding viewer's attention than the simple tabular presentation of information, with a significant covariate of video viewer size, and that the presence of infographics and individuals’ quantitative ability both positively predicted information recall.