The main aim of the present study was to explore the impact of three stimulus-related variables—that is, ordinal position of viewing, relative size of exhibit objects, and proximity to larger sized objects—on visitor attention and interest in exhibitions. A field experiment that utilized timing and tracking through unobtrusive observation, as well as a questionnaire, was conducted with 120 participants in one control and three experimental conditions. The results suggest that (a) visitor attention declines across ordinal position, being interrupted in the experimental conditions by the presence of a larger object; (b) larger exhibit objects attract and hold more attention than smaller ones, especially those adjacent to (and appear before rather than after) the larger object; and (c) while larger objects attract more attention on an individual comparison, they seem to have a suppressing effect on the overall level of attention to the exhibition compared with the control condition.

中文翻译：

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展览中的参观者注意力：展览对象的顺序位置、相对大小以及与较大对象的接近程度的影响

本研究的主要目的是探索三个与刺激相关的变量——即观看的顺序位置、展品的相对大小以及与较大尺寸的物品的接近度——对参观者对展览的注意力和兴趣的影响。在一个对照和三个实验条件下，对 120 名参与者进行了一项通过不显眼的观察利用计时和跟踪以及问卷调查的现场实验。结果表明（a）访客注意力在顺序位置上下降，在实验条件下被更大物体的存在打断；(b) 较大的展品比较小的展品吸引和吸引更多的注意力，尤其是那些与较大展品相邻（并出现在其之前而非之后的展品）