Cultural Influences on Saccadic Patterns in Facial Perception: A Comparative Study of American and Japanese Real and Animated Faces

Abstract

This study investigated the influence of saccadic eye movements and emotions on real and animated faces to enhance a detailed perception of facial information. Considering the cross-cultural differences in facial features, animated faces also influence visual preferences due to their unique visual appeal. Since there are differences in facial features across cultures, animated faces can also impact visual preferences due to their unique visual appeal. This study involved 60 participants and utilized four stimulus conditions, including real and animated faces from America and Japan. A five-point Likert scale was employed to measure participants’ subjective emotional pleasure and arousal levels, while eye-tracking equipment was used to analyze participants’ saccadic eye movements. The results revealed that, in comparison to Japanese real faces (JT), American real faces (AT) exhibited significantly greater average saccadic distances (AT: 113.03 ± 46.26, JT: 110.78 ± 45.55, p < 0.05). However, there was no statistically significant difference in the average saccadic distance between Japanese and American animated faces (109.88 ± 45.73 and 110.85 ± 45.31, respectively). Additionally, evaluating the mediating role of pleasure and arousal levels among these facial stimuli did not impact saccadic behavior. Our observations suggest that cultural factors wield a pronounced impact on saccadic behavior within real-life scenarios. However, these cultural nuances appear to attenuate in virtual and abstract animated environments. This study’s findings shed new light on the dynamic relationship between saccadic eye movements, emotions, and cultural dimensions, unraveling complexities in facial perception across diverse cultural landscapes. The implications of our research extend to animation, serving as a catalyst for further exploration in this burgeoning field.