The Relationship between Visual Perception and Emotion from Fear Appeals and Size of Warning Images on Cigarette Packages

Abstract

This research aims to identify the relationship between visual perception and emotion by the types of fear responses elicited from warning images on cigarette packages as well as the effectiveness of the size of such images through questionnaires and eye-tracking experiments with twenty university students from the colleges based in Busan. The research distinguished and analyzed the warning images as rational appeals and emotional appeals by the degree of fear and disgust and the result concurred with the research conclusions of Maynard that people would naturally avoid eye contact when presented with a warning image on cigarette packages. Also, eye avoidance was highly identified with larger (75%) warning images. While the previous research mostly adopted the self-rated validation method, this research tried to make the methodology more objective by adopting both questionnaires and eye-tracking experiments. Through this research, authors contribute to finding effective warning images on cigarette packages in a way to increase public awareness of the dangers of smoking and discourage smoking. Further research is recommended to explore the effectiveness of using explicit images on cigarette packages by the types of smokers such as heavy smokers, normal smokers, and non-smokers.