Virtual reality demonstrates the 'honey-pot effect' in pedestrian attention to public displays

Researchers at University of Tsukuba have used virtual reality (VR) to demonstrate that pedestrians’ behaviors, such as stopping or turning their heads, can induce gaze following (the “honey-pot effect”) among individuals walking behind them, thereby substantially increasing awareness of nearby public displays. However, these socially driven, momentary glances rarely result in meaningful comprehension of display content. Moreover, no cultural differences were observed in these responses among the 18 participants studied.