An Experimental Eye-Movement Study on the Spatial Attraction Characteristics and Perception of Different Landscape Types in Ethnic Villages

Abstract

People’s understanding and perceptions of landscapes are closely related to their observational behavior. Therefore, understanding human observation behavior is necessary for landscape planning research. In this study, we used eye-tracking technology to analyze the visual perceptual behavior of our subjects. This study aimed to explore the relationship of different elements of landscape attractiveness in the local environment of Taoping Qiang village in Li County, Sichuan, with the protection and quality improvement of the local landscape. Therefore, we asked 39 subjects to wear an eye-movement instrument (Tobii Glasses Pro2) to randomly view 20 real-life photographs of the field inside ethnic villages using a video, after which they were interviewed with questionnaires and asked to draw areas of interest from the photographs. Comparison of the data indicated that: (1) in the traditional ethnic village environment, the cultural elements of the village, such as doors and windows, architectural structure, and building skins of the watchtowers, religious buildings, and so forth, were more attractive to the subjects; (2) given the impact of different landscape features on the observation patterns of eye movement, there were similarities and differences between the subjects’ hand-drawn data and their eye-movement data in terms of the degree of attention paid to the attractive features of the landscape; and (3) the difference in attention was not only due to the external characteristics of the landscape, but also the inherent culture embedded in the landscape space and the subjective resonance of people’s perceptions. Analysis leads to the suggestion that features of different landscape elements should be considered in the design and upgrading of landscape in ethnic villages. This study is useful for understanding the landscape attractiveness of traditional ethnic villages and is a practical guide for the protection, display, and utilization of the value of landscape in ethnic villages.