Exploring the impact of cultural context on eye-tracking studies of architectural monuments in selected European cities

Sustainable heritage management

Bibliographic Data

ID7843283
AuthorsMarta Rusnak (0000-0002-5639-5326, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, corresponding author), Marta Szmigiel, Marta A Szmigiel (0000-0002-2823-4859, Wrocław University of Science and Technology), Malwina Geniusz (0000-0003-1927-0716, Wrocław University of Science and Technology), Zofia Koszewicz (0000-0003-3003-0086, Wrocław University of Science and Technology), Monika Magdziak-Tokłowicz (0000-0003-0235-6038, Wrocław University of Science and Technology)
Year2024
Volume66
Pages326-342
Publication date2024-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Cultural Heritage (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1296-2074 • E-ISSN: 1778-3674
PublisherElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.culher.2023.12.002
OpenAlexW4390140062
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited52

Sustainable management of architectural heritage requires conducting an inclusive diagnosis of users' opinions, considering both residents and tourists as the recipients of urban space. Given the cultural diversity within these groups, proposing the use of eye-trackers (ET) as an alternative to traditional public consultation prompts the need to assess the method's advantages and disadvantages. It remains uncertain whether individuals from different countries look at historical architecture and its transformations similarly. The uniqueness of this subject matter prevents drawing parallels from experiences in other domains. Moreover, prior research provides conflicting conclusions and may include methodological errors. This uncertainty impedes the adoption of ET as an administrative and legal tool. To address this gap, 320 volunteers, encompassing both Poles and foreigners, were invited. Qualification involved optometric tests and questionnaires. Subsequently, a portion of the participants underwent the experiment using ET while viewing visual stimuli on a monitor. The experiment featured twelve monuments, with six originating from Wrocław and six from another major European city (Paris, Rome, London, Berlin, Dresden, Dortmund). The study focused on the nature and pattern of fixations made on original photographs and their modified versions. Analyzing the collected ET data for 24 stimuli, two primary aspects were explored. First, whether both groups, irrespective of their familiarity with the object or the city of residence, looked at the original photographs in the same manner. Second, it was investigated whether participants cultural background significantly influenced observers' reactions to visual changes in the buildings. Only 8 out of 160 comparisons demonstrated statistically significant deviations. Other results, including visitor numbers, fixation counts, average fixation duration, total visit duration, and time to first fixation, exhibited similarity across the board

Archaeology · Art · Cartography · Cultural heritage · Eye tracking · Geography · Landmark · Parallels · Political science · Residence · Sociology · Visual arts · Computer Science · Demography · Engineering · Law · Multisensory perception and integration · Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies · Psychology · Visual Attention and Saliency Detection · Architecture · Artificial Intelligence

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access