Cognitive and Emotional Differences in Daytime and Nighttime Tourist Experiences in Historic Neighborhoods: A Combined Eye-Tracking and Neuroergonomic Experiment

With the rapid development of tourism, historic districts have become significant re-sources for tourist attractions. However, comprehensive research on how different time periods (daytime and nighttime) affect tourists’ experiences in these areas remains limited. This study integrates eye-tracking, psychophysiological measures, and subjec-tive questionnaires to examine differences in tourists’ cognitive processes and emotional states in historic districts during the day and night. The experiment selected square, entrance, and street scenes during both daytime and nighttime, collecting eye-tracking, electroencephalography (EEG), electrodermal activity (EDA), and heart rate variability (HRV) data from 65 participants. These data were used to compare cognitive processes (attention, spatial perception, and scene information processing), cognitive load, and emotional perception under different time scene conditions. Results showed that visitors in nighttime scenes exhibited higher attention, cognitive control, and cognitive load, although their scene perception was slower. While historic districts elicited positive emotions in visitors during both day and night, emotional arousal and pleasantness were greater at night. Additionally, street scenes were significantly more attractive to tourists at night, whereas square and entrances evoked more positive emotional responses during the day. This study highlights the substantial impact of time on tourist experiences, showing that nighttime settings enhance both cognitive and emotional responses. These findings provide a scientific foundation for developing nighttime tourism in historic districts and offer recommendations for optimizing both daytime and nighttime atmospheres to improve overall visitor satisfaction.