Visual engagement and comfort perceptions in pediatric patient rooms: A virtual reality and eye-tracking study using photographic stimuli

Understanding how pediatric patient room design influences comfort and care perceptions is critical for improving healthcare environments. This study examines the visual engagement and subjective experiences of 23 children (8–17 years) and 21 parents using a Virtual Reality (VR) and eye-tracking app...

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Main Authors: Haripriya Sathyanarayanan, Yueci Jiang, Luisa Caldas, Coye Cheshire
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-05-01
Series:Computers in Human Behavior Reports
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S245195882500051X
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author Haripriya Sathyanarayanan
Yueci Jiang
Luisa Caldas
Coye Cheshire
author_facet Haripriya Sathyanarayanan
Yueci Jiang
Luisa Caldas
Coye Cheshire
author_sort Haripriya Sathyanarayanan
collection DOAJ
description Understanding how pediatric patient room design influences comfort and care perceptions is critical for improving healthcare environments. This study examines the visual engagement and subjective experiences of 23 children (8–17 years) and 21 parents using a Virtual Reality (VR) and eye-tracking approach with photographic stimuli of thirty-two pediatric acute care rooms. A mixed-methods framework integrates eye-tracking metrics, survey ratings, and qualitative feedback to analyze how specific design elements shape perceptions of comfort, care, and likeability.Findings reveal that younger children engage more with toys, artwork, and window views, indicating their role in providing distraction and emotional support. Older children prioritize furniture and personal items, reflecting a need for autonomy and personalization. Parents emphasize window views, room layout, and positive distractions, aligning with their focus on caregiving and emotional comfort. Across all groups, familiarity and personalization emerged as key contributors to comfort and care perceptions, reinforcing the importance of designing spaces that support emotional well-being.This study highlights the value of VR and eye-tracking methodologies in capturing real-time user engagement, providing evidence-based insights for pediatric healthcare design. The findings underscore the need for patient-centered, participatory approaches that address the diverse needs of pediatric patients and their families.
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spelling doaj-art-d3e347e611424167a11d69fc287963a02025-08-20T02:37:46ZengElsevierComputers in Human Behavior Reports2451-95882025-05-011810063610.1016/j.chbr.2025.100636Visual engagement and comfort perceptions in pediatric patient rooms: A virtual reality and eye-tracking study using photographic stimuliHaripriya Sathyanarayanan0Yueci Jiang1Luisa Caldas2Coye Cheshire3Department of Architecture, University of California, Berkeley, USA; XR Lab, University of California, Berkeley, USA; Corresponding author. Department of Architecture, College of Environmental Design, University of California, Berkeley, USA.School of Architecture, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USADepartment of Architecture, University of California, Berkeley, USA; XR Lab, University of California, Berkeley, USA; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, USASchool of Information, University of California, Berkeley, USAUnderstanding how pediatric patient room design influences comfort and care perceptions is critical for improving healthcare environments. This study examines the visual engagement and subjective experiences of 23 children (8–17 years) and 21 parents using a Virtual Reality (VR) and eye-tracking approach with photographic stimuli of thirty-two pediatric acute care rooms. A mixed-methods framework integrates eye-tracking metrics, survey ratings, and qualitative feedback to analyze how specific design elements shape perceptions of comfort, care, and likeability.Findings reveal that younger children engage more with toys, artwork, and window views, indicating their role in providing distraction and emotional support. Older children prioritize furniture and personal items, reflecting a need for autonomy and personalization. Parents emphasize window views, room layout, and positive distractions, aligning with their focus on caregiving and emotional comfort. Across all groups, familiarity and personalization emerged as key contributors to comfort and care perceptions, reinforcing the importance of designing spaces that support emotional well-being.This study highlights the value of VR and eye-tracking methodologies in capturing real-time user engagement, providing evidence-based insights for pediatric healthcare design. The findings underscore the need for patient-centered, participatory approaches that address the diverse needs of pediatric patients and their families.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S245195882500051XPediatric patient room designComfort and care perceptionsVirtual reality (VR)Eye trackingChild-parent engagementPhotographic stimuli
spellingShingle Haripriya Sathyanarayanan
Yueci Jiang
Luisa Caldas
Coye Cheshire
Visual engagement and comfort perceptions in pediatric patient rooms: A virtual reality and eye-tracking study using photographic stimuli
Computers in Human Behavior Reports
Pediatric patient room design
Comfort and care perceptions
Virtual reality (VR)
Eye tracking
Child-parent engagement
Photographic stimuli
title Visual engagement and comfort perceptions in pediatric patient rooms: A virtual reality and eye-tracking study using photographic stimuli
title_full Visual engagement and comfort perceptions in pediatric patient rooms: A virtual reality and eye-tracking study using photographic stimuli
title_fullStr Visual engagement and comfort perceptions in pediatric patient rooms: A virtual reality and eye-tracking study using photographic stimuli
title_full_unstemmed Visual engagement and comfort perceptions in pediatric patient rooms: A virtual reality and eye-tracking study using photographic stimuli
title_short Visual engagement and comfort perceptions in pediatric patient rooms: A virtual reality and eye-tracking study using photographic stimuli
title_sort visual engagement and comfort perceptions in pediatric patient rooms a virtual reality and eye tracking study using photographic stimuli
topic Pediatric patient room design
Comfort and care perceptions
Virtual reality (VR)
Eye tracking
Child-parent engagement
Photographic stimuli
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S245195882500051X
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AT luisacaldas visualengagementandcomfortperceptionsinpediatricpatientroomsavirtualrealityandeyetrackingstudyusingphotographicstimuli
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