Advertising in app: a neuroscientific approach

The present study investigated, through eye-tracking, the impact of animation and interactivity in the ad, on visual behaviour. Users were asked to use an app, programmed by the research team, where four types of ad stimuli, obtained by crossing the two features, were exhibited. Results from moderation analysis indicated animation and interactivity as predictors of the number of ad fixations, a sign of higher attentional engagement. Furthermore, a negative effect of interactivity on animation was found, highlighting a tendency to avoid too complex ad stimuli, in accordance with the concept of cognitive workload and the absence of an additive effect.