This study focuses on the differences in exhibition visitors’ gaze behavior patterns in relation to contextual information presented as interpretative museum labels. Eye tracking technology has proven useful in the interdisciplinary research of perception of art, as it offers a clearer insight into an observer’s gaze behavior. The empirical research on the influence of interpretative labels offers a mode to test presuppositions on their role in a museum environment – namely, doubts about their usefulness and their presumed adverse effect on the time allotted to viewing paintings.
We hypothesize that longer label text will not shorten the exhibited paintings’ viewing duration. We also seek to provide proof of the text’s influence on visitors’ gaze behavior.
Data was collected from the temporary exhibition True to Life at the Belvedere Museum, which featured works associated with Realism. This thesis focuses on the exhibition’s second room, where label text was added (if it was not there in the first condition) or altered and lengthened between experimental conditions. We gathered data from 244 participants, who were randomly recruited on-site, among normal museum-goers. We conducted a survey, collected eye tracking data, and carried out open-ended interviews with the participants.
We expect the use of longer label text to not shorten the time allotted to viewing paintings. We also expect the results to serve as proof of the labels’ influence on gaze behavior in the environment of the museum.
The research is expected to contribute to the exploration of established theories on the perception of artworks in relation to interpretative text in museum settings and inform the way they are used. This work also serves to test the application of concepts from cognitive science to review their usefulness in the context of the researched phenomena.
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