How much do we really remember about the products we see on shelves? And can packaging design influence our memory without us even realizing it? These were key questions behind a study by Laura Grisel Carrillo Sánchez et al. (2025). The research focused specifically on cereal packaging, aiming to understand how involuntary visual attention - automatic shifts in gaze - affects incidental memory.
The study combined eye-tracking and EEG (electroencephalography) to explore how visual design elements guide attention and shape memory, even when people are not consciously trying to remember what they see.
The study, titled "Does Involuntary Visual Attention Boost Incidental Memory?", investigated how consumers process product packaging, especially when they are not asked to focus or memorize anything in particular. It examined whether certain visual features - such as color, layout, or design elements - automatically draw attention, and whether this attention results in better memory retention.
Participants viewed images of cereal packages as part of the experiment. While some packages were designed to subtly attract attention, others served as control images. The researchers were interested in whether these involuntary attention shifts translated into stronger, even unconscious, memory formation.
Before participants began the EEG sessions in the lab, they completed a remote eye-tracking validation task using RealEye. This step ensured that their gaze could be accurately tracked, helping researchers confirm that their eye-movement data would be reliable.
RealEye’s ability to conduct this task remotely—through a standard webcam and browser—allowed the team to validate participants’ calibration from home, reducing in-lab time and improving the study’s efficiency. It also demonstrated how web-based tools can support high-level cognitive and consumer research without the need for specialized equipment.
The study uncovered several important insights:
This combination of behavioral (eye-tracking) and neural (EEG) data provided strong evidence that packaging design can influence consumer memory, even in passive viewing conditions.
The findings have practical value for marketers, packaging designers, and consumer researchers. If certain visual elements of a product can increase the chance of being remembered - without any conscious effort - then design choices become even more critical.
This research suggests that well-designed packaging can leave a lasting impression, influencing consumer decisions long after a product is seen.
For researchers, the study also highlights how combining remote and lab-based tools enables more flexible and scalable study designs - particularly relevant in today’s hybrid research environments.
At RealEye, we’re proud to support research that pushes the boundaries of both cognitive science and applied consumer insights :-) This study shows how webcam-based eye tracking can be a valuable component of complex, neuroscience-driven projects. As more research blends lab-based precision with the convenience of remote tools, RealEye provides a reliable and accessible way to measure visual attention - whether for academic studies, usability testing, or marketing research.
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