Perceptual Features of Arithmetic Expressions Bias Visual Attention: An Online Eye‐Tracking Study

ABSTRACT While presenting perceptual cues (e.g., spatial proximity or color) in arithmetic expressions can affect participants' problem‐solving performance, the attentional mechanism underpinning these perceptual cues remains unclear. The current study examined how the presence of color and spacing cues (congruent, neutral, incongruent) in order‐of‐operations problems impacted gaze behaviors during problem‐solving in participants with different levels of executive function (i.e., working memory and inhibition). Data from 158 college students revealed that spacing and color guided attention toward the cued sub‐operation independently and interactively. Individual differences in working memory and inhibition skills were correlated with gaze behaviors but did not impact the effect of perceptual cues. These findings indicate that without explicit instructions, the perceptual features of mathematical expressions can bias attentional allocation during problem‐solving.