Effects of anthropomorphic design on comprehension of self-monitoring test results: Integrating evidence of eye-tracking and event-related potential

Abstract

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of anthropomorphism design on individuals’ comprehension of self-monitoring test results. In addition, we employed eye-tracking and event-related potential techniques to explore the underlying mechanisms. Materials and MethodsA within-group design was employed with presentation format (black-and-white neutral design, black-and-white anthropomorphic design, and colored anthropomorphic design) as independent variable. A total of 30 graduate students participated in an experiment in which they were instructed to perform a series of health data interpretation tasks. ResultsColored anthropomorphism yielded significantly shorter task completion time, shorter fixation duration, fewer fixations, and smaller pupil size than the other two presentation formats. Moreover, black-and-white anthropomorphism design elicited increased N1 amplitudes in frontal area compared with the other two designs; colored anthropomorphic design evoked larger amplitude of P3 than the other two designs. ConclusionsColored anthropomorphic design is found to be an effective approach in facilitating consumers’ understanding of quantitative health information. Moreover, the present study demonstrated the feasibility of using eye-tracking and neuroergonomics tools in evaluating interface design in a healthcare setting.