Visual Search In Consumer Nutrition Labels

摘要

The purpose of this thesis was to investigate the effect of the graphical layoutof nutrition labels on their readability. Little empirical information is available on the value of the multiple enhancements incorporated into the design as mandated and standardized by the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990. Eye movement recording offered an attractive technique to explore consumer's cognitive processes while reading the labels. Eight women and two men between 19 and 41 years of age had their eye movements recorded while reading sample nutrition labels. Participants were evenly divided into two groups based on their level of experience in using nutrition label information. Their task was to search for and extract prescribed nutritional values from the labels. A 5 x 3 x 3 x 2 x 2 factorial design was employed with five levels of anchoring and alignment lines, three presentation times, three target locations, two label sizes (information content) and two subject experience levels. Dependent variables were landing distance (in degrees) from initial capture fixation position to target (LD), total number of fixations until initial target capture (NF), total time until initial target capture (CT), target search time (ST), and initial capture fixation time (Fr). Of the main effects, subject experience level was significant for NF (p<0.01), ST (p<0.05), and Fr (p<0.05), condition (anchor and alignment lines) for NF (p<0.05), CT (p<0.00l), and ST (p<0.01), presentation time for NF (p<0.001), CT (p<0.001), ST (p<0.001) and FT (p<0.05), and target location for NF (p<0.001), CT (p<0.001), and ST (p<0.0l). Significant interactions were identified for experience and presentation time for NF (p<0.05), CT (p<0.05), and ST (p<0.0l).