Generation Z preferences for cultural heritage landscapes using questionnaire and neuroscience ERP methods

In the context of heritage tourism development, accurately identifying the preferences of new-generation tourists is critically important. Based on dual-process theory, this paper combines questionnaire surveys with neuroscience (ERP) techniques to construct an “explicit–implicit” dual-pathway model, using four types of heritage landscapes in Jingdezhen as examples to investigate the preference formation mechanisms of Generation Z. Research findings indicate that religious and traditional folk landscapes receive higher explicit preferences; “Place imagination-awe” constitutes a chain mediation, with visual aesthetics positively moderating its pathway and influence preferences; Preferred landscapes trigger stronger P200 and LPP responses, while non-preferred landscapes elicit higher N200, presenting neural processing features such as attention capture and conflict detection. The research innovatively introduces ERP technology to heritage perception studies, promoting the interdisciplinary integration of heritage science and neuroscience, and provides empirical support for heritage site planning and neuromarketing targeting youth groups.