Construction and analysis of a packaging design preference model using eye-tracking degree of preference

The homogenization of packaging design highlights the importance of objectively assessing consumer emotional responses. However, existing methods predominantly rely on subjective reports and lack deep integration with objective physiological metrics. To address this, this exploratory study aimed to construct and preliminarily validate a quantitative predictive model based on the Eye-tracking Degree of Preference (E-Dop). Eye-tracking metrics and subjective preference ratings were collected synchronously from 30 young adult participants as they viewed shampoo packaging samples, and a multiple linear regression model was constructed. The results indicated that, under the tested conditions, design elements such as medium-high saturation, cool tones, and rounded morphologies were significantly correlated with higher levels of visual attention and user preference ratings. The constructed E-Dop model demonstrated good predictive performance within the specific cohort (adjusted R² = 0.702) and passed rigorous Leave-One-Subject-Out Cross-Validation (r = 0.84). This study provides methodological evidence for using eye-tracking technology to quantify the "visceral-level" visual preference elicited by packaging design. The E-Dop model establishes a preliminary bridge connecting subjective preference reports with objective eye-tracking measurements. This framework not only provides initial physiological evidence in support of emotional design theory but also offers a prototypical, quantifiable decision-support framework for optimizing designs targeted at specific consumer segments.