Evaluating the Visual Impact of One-Point Perspective Using Eye-Tracking Data

The challenge of transferring the three-dimensional world onto two-dimensional surfaces has been debated by artists and scientists for centuries. This discussion, gaining prominence during the Renaissance, led to the development of linear perspective techniques such as one-point perspective. This study examines the effect of one-point perspective—which lies at the intersection of art and science—on viewers using eye-tracking data (N = 180). For data collection, the study used scenes from three films: 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, and The Shining, which include Kubrick’s consistent application of one-point perspective. Scenes were divided into nine Areas of Interest (AOIs), and gaze-and fixation-based metrics were used to assess viewers’ attention. The results revealed that AOI 5, centrally located on the screen, had the shortest time to first gaze, the highest number of gazes, and the longest total gaze duration compared to other AOIs. The findings show that participants fixated on the center earlier, more frequently, and for longer durations—even in scenes featuring intense peripheral stimuli. These findings provide empirical evidence that one-point perspective influences gaze direction in moving images by guiding visual attention toward the central region of the frame. This study offers a clear and empirically grounded contribution to understanding the effects of one-point perspective in moving images from the standpoint of vision science.