Directing versus Attracting Attention: Exploring the Effectiveness of Central and Peripheral Cues in Panoramic Videos

Abstract

Filmmakers of panoramic videos frequently struggle to guide attention to Regions of Interest (ROIs) due to consumers' freedom to explore. Some researchers hypothesize that peripheral cues attract reflexive/involuntary attention whereas cues within central vision engage and direct voluntary attention. This mixed-methods study evaluated the effectiveness of using central arrows and peripheral flickers to guide and focus attention in panoramic videos. Twentyfive adults wore a head-mounted display with an eye tracker and were guided to 14 ROIs in two panoramic videos. No significant differences emerged in regard to the number of followed cues, the time taken to reach and observe ROIs, ROI-related memory and user engagement. However, participants' gaze travelled a significantly greater distance toward ROIs within the first 500 ms after flickeronsets compared to arrow-onsets. Nevertheless, most users preferred the arrow and perceived it as significantly more rewarding than the flicker. The findings imply that traditional attention paradigms are not entirely applicable to panoramic videos, as peripheral cues appear to engage both involuntary and voluntary attention. Theoretical and practical implications as well as limitations are discussed.

The Use of Embedded Context-Sensitive Attractors for Clinical Walking Test Guidance in Virtual Reality

“…Alternative to the theory of visual crowding (Bouma, 1970), Schmitz and colleagues (Schmitz et al, 2020) suggest that individuals may become desensitized to visual cues, due to constant stimulation. However, it is perhaps unlikely that this explains why following of the implied path in condition D (turning markers and 3 attractors) did not significantly differ from the average control (no attractors or turning markers), as participants only experienced all attractor conditions for a total of 6 min, in a counter-balanced order.…”

Attention Guidance Technique Using Visual Subliminal Cues And Its Application On Videos

“…Thus, the need to shift viewers' attention to the AOI beyond the viewing angle increased. While previous studies have delved into the use of various sensory cues [67,68] in video settings, only a few have integrated subliminal cues into the real world settings. Also, the use of subliminal cues in real world application was mostly limited to images and not videos [6,30].…”

“…Therefore, it is important to implement various methods to guide the audiences' attention until they reach the desired area of interest (AOI). For example, one can utilize both endogenous and exogenous cues that are unrelated to the content's storyline for more efcient gaze transition towards the target AOI [68].…”

Subtle Attention Guidance for Real Walking in Virtual Environments

“…In particular, Haptic Feedback Luminance Modulation [4] PulseLight and PulseVibe [16] VRHapticDrones [7] FacePush [1] GazeRecall [12] Visual Stimuli [2] Diegetic Cues [13] Scaptics [10] Directing vs. Attracting [14] Arrow, Butterfly, Radar [18] Attention Funnel [17] Rubber Band [15] This work and Temporal Luminance Modulation are generally considered to be AG methods that are not distracting for the user while navigating in a VE [4,10,12,16]. Further, they can be better applied together with redirection techniques, as introduced by Razzaque [11].…”

“…To guide users, the AG methods use stimuli conveyed through different sensory modalities. AG methods predominantly rely on the visual, auditory, and tactile sensory channels [2,3,13,14,18,19,22]. The effectiveness of an AG method is often related to the completion time required for the user to reach and find a target object in the VE.…”