Can Visuals Facilitate or Detract Attention to Text? Examining the Effects of the Amount and Type of Visuals on Attention to Digital Longforms
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22010738 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Zijian Harrison Gong (0000-0002-7846-2366, Texas Tech University, corresponding author), Yani Zhao (0000-0003-2641-5450, Texas Tech University), Kerk F Kee (0000-0002-0543-5009, Texas Tech University), Kerk Kee (Texas Tech University) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Pages | 1-20 |
| Publication date | 2025-01-21 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Digital Journalism (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2167-0811 • E-ISSN: 2167-082X |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/21670811.2024.2439362 |
| OpenAlex | W4406672752 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 39 |
Digital longforms have been viewed as more engaging and pushing the boundaries of digital journalism by including a large amount of visuals, yet it remains unclear whether the inclusion and placement of visuals in digital longforms attracts or diverts attention to textual information. Drawing on the theoretical framework of the Cognitive Load Theory, two eye-tracking experiments were conducted to examine the effects of the number of visuals, the type of visuals, featured image inclusion, and issue involvement on attention to digital longforms. The results suggested increasing the number of visuals increased attention to textual information. However, changing the number of visuals did not affect all readers uniformly such that issue involvement and featured image inclusion moderated the effects of the number of visuals on attention. The type of visuals also affected selective attention, such that infographics were the most effective in grasping readers’ attention than photos and banners. However, such advantage of infographics occurred at the expense of diverting attention away from the text following infographics
Cognitive psychology · Cognitive science · Multimedia · Perception · Visual attention · Aesthetic Perception and Analysis · Computer Science · Multisensory perception and integration · Neuroscience · Psychology · Visual and Cognitive Learning Processes
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| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |