The Impact of Augmented Reality on Art Engagement: Liking, Impression of Learning, and Distraction

Tanja Aitamurto, Jean-Baptiste Boin, Kaiping Chen, Ahmed Cherif, Skanda Shridhar

Abstract: This paper examines the impact of an augmented reality (AR) tour guide on users’ art engagement. In a between-subjects experiment in an art museum, users’ art engagement with a novel video see-through augmented reality guide was examined against user behavior with a book guide. The AR users’ liking of art increased more than the book users’, whereas the book users learned more. The AR users enjoyed using the application, and it helped them engage with art; however, they felt physical fatigue from holding the tablet and preferred interacting with a still image over the live augmentations. The users were concerned about the screen time the AR guide required; it distracted them from looking at the art with the naked eye, creating more of an impression of learning rather than actual learning. The findings call for more impactful AR applications with art as the focal point.