A critical part of flow-based conceptual modeling, such as process modeling, is visualizing the logical and temporal sequence in which activities in a process should be completed. While there are established standards and recommendations, there is limited empirical research examining the influence of process model layout on model comprehension. To address this research gap, we conducted a controlled eye-tracking experiment with 70 participants comparing different layouts. The experimental results confirm that the visibility of control flow patterns is critical for assisting users with visual processing, particularly attentional allocation, when comprehending process models for both local comprehension tasks and tasks requiring cognitive integration of model components. In models with more directional changes, users’ visual attention is more drawn to irrelevant regions, but comprehension is less affected as long as patterns remain visible. Our findings not only elucidate how cognitive fit between a visual representation and a task can manifest itself and the perceptual benefits it brings, but they can also guide the automated layout of models in tools and complement practical process modeling guidelines.

中文翻译：

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通过一致的流程和模式可见性来引导基于流程的概念模型的注意力


基于流的概念建模（例如流程建模）的关键部分是将流程中的活动应完成的逻辑和时间顺序可视化。虽然有既定的标准和建议，但检验流程模型布局对模型理解影响的实证研究却很有限。为了解决这一研究空白，我们对 70 名参与者进行了一项受控眼动追踪实验，比较不同的布局。实验结果证实，在理解局部理解任务和需要模型组件认知集成的任务的过程模型时，控制流模式的可见性对于协助用户进行视觉处理，特别是注意力分配至关重要。在方向变化较多的模型中，用户的视觉注意力更容易吸引到不相关的区域，但只要模式保持可见，理解力就不会受到影响。我们的研究结果不仅阐明了视觉表示和任务之间的认知契合如何体现出来及其带来的感知益处，而且还可以指导工具中模型的自动布局并补充实际的流程建模指南。