The Contribution of Eye-Movement Research to an Understanding of the Nature of Pictorial Balance Perception: A Review of the Literature

Abstract

The study of eye movements has been very successful in providing empirical support for theoretical writings concerning the influence of pictorial balance on perceptual processing of pictures and other types of visual displays. This article describes the nature of pictorial balance that emerges from eye-movement research and related empirical findings. A graphic representation of the interaction of stimulus-driven and cognitively-driven aspects of balance perception derived from this literature is presented and discussed.