Individual Differences in Selective Attention to Information Graphics in Televised Sports

Abstract

Despite the ubiquitous presence of information graphics in sport telecasts, little research has explored how at-home spectators allocate attention to them or individual differences in selective attention. This study demonstrates two viewer characteristics that impact attention to information graphics in two excerpts from the 2012 World Series. Eye-tracking data reveal that although viewers universally attend to these graphics upon onset, those with greater interest in sports and sports statistics exhibited greater cognitive processing of these elements as indexed by gaze duration. Differences in selective attention provide a framework for studying attention in new sport media high in visual complexity.