The Effect of Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Illustrations on Attention Allocation and Creative Transfer in Energy-Saving Communication
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| Title: | The Effect of Contextualized vs. Decontextualized Illustrations on Attention Allocation and Creative Transfer in Energy-Saving Communication |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Zhe Liang (ORCID |
| Source: | Journal of Baltic Science Education. 2025 24(6):1189-1207. |
| Availability: | Scientia Socialis Ltd. 29 K. Donelaicio Street, LT-78115 Siauliai, Republic of Lithuania. e-mail: scientia@scientiasocialis.lt; e-mail: mail.jbse@gmail.com; Web site: http://www.scientiasocialis.lt/jbse/ |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 19 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Energy Conservation, Information Dissemination, Illustrations, Visual Aids, Eye Movements, Student Attitudes, Cognitive Processes, Undergraduate Students, Foreign Countries |
| Geographic Terms: | China |
| ISSN: | 1648-3898 2538-7138 |
| Abstract: | Effective dissemination of energy-saving information is vital for fostering environmental awareness and behavioral change. This study explored how diagram type and individual environmental attitudes shape attention allocation, text processing, and information transfer. A mixed-methods experiment was conducted with 60 design students, who viewed two types of explanatory diagrams--Contextualized Application Illustrations (CAI) and Decontextualized Technical Illustrations (DTI)--while their eye movements were recorded. Participants then created hand-drawn posters and completed semi-structured interviews. Results showed that CAI captured attention more quickly than DTI, as indicated by shorter time to first fixation, regardless of environmental attitude. A significant interaction effect emerged for fixation time: high-attitude participants focused less on CAI images but engaged more deeply with accompanying text, whereas low-attitude participants devoted more attention to CAI images but less to text. Poster analyses revealed a strong preference for CAI as a creative reference, with participants integrating contextual cues into their designs. Interviews further confirmed that CAI's real-life scenarios enhanced intuitive comprehension and stimulated scenario-based creative expression. Overall, contextualized visual design proved effective in attracting attention, supporting deeper cognitive processing among high-involvement viewers, and facilitating the transfer of environmental information into new expressive formats. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1492303 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Effective dissemination of energy-saving information is vital for fostering environmental awareness and behavioral change. This study explored how diagram type and individual environmental attitudes shape attention allocation, text processing, and information transfer. A mixed-methods experiment was conducted with 60 design students, who viewed two types of explanatory diagrams--Contextualized Application Illustrations (CAI) and Decontextualized Technical Illustrations (DTI)--while their eye movements were recorded. Participants then created hand-drawn posters and completed semi-structured interviews. Results showed that CAI captured attention more quickly than DTI, as indicated by shorter time to first fixation, regardless of environmental attitude. A significant interaction effect emerged for fixation time: high-attitude participants focused less on CAI images but engaged more deeply with accompanying text, whereas low-attitude participants devoted more attention to CAI images but less to text. Poster analyses revealed a strong preference for CAI as a creative reference, with participants integrating contextual cues into their designs. Interviews further confirmed that CAI's real-life scenarios enhanced intuitive comprehension and stimulated scenario-based creative expression. Overall, contextualized visual design proved effective in attracting attention, supporting deeper cognitive processing among high-involvement viewers, and facilitating the transfer of environmental information into new expressive formats. |
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| ISSN: | 1648-3898 2538-7138 |
