Assessing the Impact of Website Domain on End-User Evaluations of Web Page Aesthetics Using an Immediate Aesthetic Perception Technique

This study investigated the 'immediate aesthetic impression' method of quantifying the perception of attractiveness of several website designs. This study replicates and expands an existing line of research that investigates a method of measuring end-user's "first impression" evaluations of web page attractiveness. Emphasis is placed on evaluating the potential influence of website domain on end-user perception of website visual aesthetics. A snowball technique was used to contact and enroll 184 participants. The participants were asked to evaluate 24 website screen images that represented four website domain categories (commerce, entertainment, government, and religious/non-profit). The results suggest that web domain can be, but is not always, a factor in the perception of website aesthetics. Comparing the average attractiveness rating between an experimental and a control group, websites in the Government domain showed a higher average attractiveness rating from the participants who were aware of the web domain they were viewing. The results also confirm prior findings and show that aesthetic perceptions are formed very quickly and held largely consistent upon repeated exposure to the same website screen image. Response latency continues to show promise as an inherent, objective confirmatory variable, with some limitations on proper experimental design when gathering latency data. This study provides further evidence supporting the repeatability and generalizability of the 'immediate aesthetic perception' measurement method and new findings about the relationship between web domain and perceived website aesthetics.