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Visual attention and perceived attractiveness in scientific posters: An eye-tracking study.

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Title: Visual attention and perceived attractiveness in scientific posters: An eye-tracking study.
Authors: Galibourg, Antoine1,2,3 (AUTHOR) antoine.galibourg@univ-tlse3.fr, Kumar, Abhishek1,2,4,5 (AUTHOR), Grigoriadis, Anastasios1,2 (AUTHOR)
Source: Thinking Skills & Creativity. Sep2026, Vol. 61, pN.PAG-N.PAG. 1p.
Subject Terms: *Visual aids, *Attention control, Poster design, Eye tracking, Building layout, Aesthetics
Abstract: • Poster design significantly influences visual attention, with Moderate Text-density and a balanced Figure-ratio enhancing engagement. • Excessively Dense or Sparse layouts may hinder information processing by causing cognitive overload or disengagement. • Structured Margin-spacing guides gaze behavior, supporting effective navigation of visual content. Scientific posters are widely used in medical conferences to share research findings visually and interactively, yet many fail to communicate effectively due to excessive text, poor structure, and a lack of visual appeal. To evaluate how the design of scientific posters, focusing on Text-density, Figure-ratio, and Margin-spacing, influences visual attention and perceived attractiveness. Forty-six participants viewed fifteen scientific posters in one session, divided into three layout conditions (Text-density, Figure-ratio, Margin-spacing). Eye-tracking metrics such as the Time to First Fixation (TTFF), Total Duration of Fixations (TDF), and Number of Fixations (NF) were analyzed to measure visual attention. After the display of each condition, the participants were asked to select the most visually attractive poster. The results were analyzed with a two-way repeated-measures ANOVA, and a P value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. The results showed that the participants preferred the Moderate layout in the Margin-spacing condition (37 %), the Overloaded layout in the Figure-ratio condition (41 %), and the Light layout in the Text-density condition (48 %). Repeated measures ANOVA showed significant effects of condition (P = 0.019) and Area of Interest (AOI; P < 0.001) on TDF, which was highest in the Text-density condition. Moderate AOIs consistently received the longest TDF (P < 0.001). NF was significantly higher in Overloaded AOIs within the Figure-ratio condition (P < 0.002). TTFF was shorter in Sparse, Light, and Dense AOIs for the Figure-ratio condition compared to the others (P < 0.018), indicating that image-rich designs captured attention more quickly. Poster design strongly influences visual attention. Layouts with balanced Figure-ratio, moderate Text-density, and structured spacing promote engagement and readability, while extreme designs may hinder attention. These results highlight the importance of visual design in optimizing educational materials and support its integration into instructional strategies in medical education. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Thinking Skills & Creativity is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Education Research Complete
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DbLabel: Education Research Complete
An: 194423892
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
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  Data: Visual attention and perceived attractiveness in scientific posters: An eye-tracking study.
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  Data: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Galibourg%2C+Antoine%22&quot;&gt;Galibourg, Antoine&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;relatesTo&gt;1,2,3&lt;/relatesTo&gt; (AUTHOR)&lt;i&gt; antoine.galibourg@univ-tlse3.fr&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Kumar%2C+Abhishek%22&quot;&gt;Kumar, Abhishek&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;relatesTo&gt;1,2,4,5&lt;/relatesTo&gt; (AUTHOR)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Grigoriadis%2C+Anastasios%22&quot;&gt;Grigoriadis, Anastasios&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;relatesTo&gt;1,2&lt;/relatesTo&gt; (AUTHOR)
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  Data: *&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Visual+aids%22&quot;&gt;Visual aids&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;*&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Attention+control%22&quot;&gt;Attention control&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Poster+design%22&quot;&gt;Poster design&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Eye+tracking%22&quot;&gt;Eye tracking&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Building+layout%22&quot;&gt;Building layout&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Aesthetics%22&quot;&gt;Aesthetics&lt;/searchLink&gt;
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
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  Data: • Poster design significantly influences visual attention, with Moderate Text-density and a balanced Figure-ratio enhancing engagement. • Excessively Dense or Sparse layouts may hinder information processing by causing cognitive overload or disengagement. • Structured Margin-spacing guides gaze behavior, supporting effective navigation of visual content. Scientific posters are widely used in medical conferences to share research findings visually and interactively, yet many fail to communicate effectively due to excessive text, poor structure, and a lack of visual appeal. To evaluate how the design of scientific posters, focusing on Text-density, Figure-ratio, and Margin-spacing, influences visual attention and perceived attractiveness. Forty-six participants viewed fifteen scientific posters in one session, divided into three layout conditions (Text-density, Figure-ratio, Margin-spacing). Eye-tracking metrics such as the Time to First Fixation (TTFF), Total Duration of Fixations (TDF), and Number of Fixations (NF) were analyzed to measure visual attention. After the display of each condition, the participants were asked to select the most visually attractive poster. The results were analyzed with a two-way repeated-measures ANOVA, and a P value of &lt;0.05 was considered statistically significant. The results showed that the participants preferred the Moderate layout in the Margin-spacing condition (37 %), the Overloaded layout in the Figure-ratio condition (41 %), and the Light layout in the Text-density condition (48 %). Repeated measures ANOVA showed significant effects of condition (P = 0.019) and Area of Interest (AOI; P &lt; 0.001) on TDF, which was highest in the Text-density condition. Moderate AOIs consistently received the longest TDF (P &lt; 0.001). NF was significantly higher in Overloaded AOIs within the Figure-ratio condition (P &lt; 0.002). TTFF was shorter in Sparse, Light, and Dense AOIs for the Figure-ratio condition compared to the others (P &lt; 0.018), indicating that image-rich designs captured attention more quickly. Poster design strongly influences visual attention. Layouts with balanced Figure-ratio, moderate Text-density, and structured spacing promote engagement and readability, while extreme designs may hinder attention. These results highlight the importance of visual design in optimizing educational materials and support its integration into instructional strategies in medical education. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: &lt;i&gt;Copyright of Thinking Skills &amp; Creativity is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder&#39;s express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.&lt;/i&gt; (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1016/j.tsc.2026.102201
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 1
        StartPage: N.PAG
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Visual aids
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Attention control
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Poster design
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Eye tracking
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Building layout
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Aesthetics
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Visual attention and perceived attractiveness in scientific posters: An eye-tracking study.
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            NameFull: Galibourg, Antoine
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            NameFull: Kumar, Abhishek
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            NameFull: Grigoriadis, Anastasios
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          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 09
              Text: Sep2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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              Value: 61
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