Visual Attention to Fruit Juices and Smoothies in Controlled and Immersive Contexts: A Dynamic Eye-tracking Approach
One of the characteristics of sensory booths is the absence of distracting elements to
increase consumers’ attention. In contrast, inducing contextual cues (e.g., packaging
information or immersive environments) can potentially decrease consumers’ focus on the
samples. This study experimentally assesses the impact of contextual cues on the visual
attention of consumers during sensory evaluation.
A total of 62 participants evaluated four fruit juices / smoothies under two information
conditions (blind; informed) and in two environments: a controlled sensory booth and an
immersive setting using an LED wall system that displayed a 270º audiovisual stimulus
simulating a café terrace overlooking the Douro River and Porto’s historic Ribeira waterfront.
Eye-tracking data were collected in all sessions using wearable eye-tracking glasses based on
the Pupil Centre Corneal Reflection (PCCR) technique. Areas of Interest (AOIs), including the
beverages, environmental elements, and testing supports, were defined and analysed using
iMotions software.
ANOVA revealed significant effects of context on dwell time (gaze, %), revisit count, fixation
count, TTFF, and dwell time (fixation, %) (p < 0.0001), whereas first fixation duration was not
significantly affected (p = 0.869). Overall, the immersive setting showed higher dwell time,
revisit count, fixation count, and fixation-based dwell time than the laboratory setting, while
also presenting higher TTFF values, suggesting slower initial orientation to the AOIs. Product
information also significantly affected eye-tracking metrics (p<0.0001), with informed
evaluations showing higher values than blind evaluations. Significant context × information
interactions were observed for dwell time(%), fixation count, and dwell time(%) (p≤0.0001),
with the immersive informed condition consistently showing the highest values.
These findings demonstrate that both environmental context and product information
significantly shape visual attention during juice evaluation. The results support the relevance
of wearable eye-tracking for investigating consumer perception in more ecologically valid
sensory settings.
Publish date 2026-08-14
Author(s) Rita Ramos; João Pedro Marques; Diego Martinez; Rui Costa Lima; Luís Miguel Cunha; Luís Baião; Bruna Barbosa ; José Carlos Ribeiro; Maria João Alegria; Célia Rocha
