Benefits of Motion in Animated Storybooks for Children's Comprehension: An Eye-Tracking Study

• In Event: Poster Session 8
  In Poster Session: Research in Early Education and Child Development

Abstract

The present study provides experimental evidence regarding 4-6-year-old children’s visual processing of animated versus static illustrations in storybooks. 39 participants listened to an animated and a static book, both three times, while eye movements were registered with an eye-tracker. When details in the pictures were in motion they received more visual attention than the same details in the static illustrations. Outcomes corroborate the hypothesis that specifically motion is what attracts children’s attention while looking at illustrations. It is proposed that animated illustrations that are well matched to the text of the story guide children to those parts of the illustration that are important for understanding the story. This could explain why animated books resulted in better comprehension than static books.

Authors

• Zsofia K. Takacs, Eötvös Loránd University

• Adriana G. Bus, Leiden University