Digital signage has become an increasingly pervasive component of modern communication, appearing in workplaces, schools, retail environments, and public spaces. As organizations seek more engaging ways to convey information, influence behavior, and enhance user experience, understanding the psychological effects of digital signage is crucial. This survey, conducted with a diverse group of respondents, explores how frequently people interact with digital signage, how it shapes their attention, motivation, comprehension, and daily experiences, and what types of content resonate most deeply. The findings reveal a compelling narrative about the cognitive and emotional impact of digital displays in everyday life.
Interaction frequency and preferred content
The survey shows that digital signage is far from a niche medium. Over 70% of respondents interact with digital signage often or at least several times, indicating its strong presence in daily routines. Only a small fraction (7.81%) reported never interacting with it.
When examining content preferences, visual elements dominate. Images (66.95%) and text (61.02%) are the most preferred formats, while videos appeal to 40.68%. This suggests that while dynamic content is valuable, clarity and simplicity, generally attributes of static visuals, remain psychologically effective for information processing. These preferences align with established research showing that humans are visually oriented learners who process imagery faster than text, but still rely on concise written information for clarity.
Settings where digital signage provides the most value
Digital signage appears to be especially impactful in environments where decision-making and navigation are frequent. The most helpful setting identified by respondents is retail (60.17%), followed by public spaces (45.76%) and schools (44.07%). Workplaces (39.83%) also demonstrate significant utility.
This distribution indicates that people are particularly receptive to digital signage when it fulfills immediate informational or directional needs, such as product discovery, event navigation, or educational prompts. The psychological takeaway is that context shapes attention. When viewers expect to receive new or relevant information, digital signage becomes a welcome rather than disruptive medium.
Cognitive impact: Attention and comprehension
A central question in evaluating digital signage is its cognitive effectiveness. Here, the findings are notably positive:
- 60% of respondents say digital signage improves learning or understanding well or very well.
- 58% report that it helps them retain information well or very well.
- A striking 71% say digital signage captures attention effectively or very effectively.
Attention capture appears to be among the strongest psychological advantages. With nearly three-quarters of respondents acknowledging its effectiveness, digital signage emerges as a powerful tool for breaking through cognitive chaos. Something quite challenging in an overstimulated digital world.
Information retention is also a key strength. The combined majority reporting moderate to strong retention suggests that digital signage’s multimodal presentation (text and visuals) supports memory encoding, a known principle in cognitive psychology called dual-coding theory.
Emotional and motivational effects
Digital signage definitely informs, but according to our findings, it also motivates. A combined 56.78% of respondents feel that it motivates them effectively or very effectively, with another 28.81% finding it at least moderately motivating. This motivational effect may arise from visual stimuli, motion cues, or strategic messaging, all of which activate emotional and behavioral responses.
Engagement levels further reinforce this: 26.27% always and 20.34% often find digital signage content engaging, while the majority (42.37%) sometimes do. These results suggest that while content quality varies, the medium itself possesses strong engagement potential when thoughtfully utilized.
Psychologically, engagement is an essential gateway to behavioral influence, leading us to the next finding.
Behavioral influence and practical benefits
One of the most impactful results is how willing respondents are to follow instructions displayed on digital signage:
- 32.20% very likely
- 30.51% likely
- 23.73% moderately likely
This means over 86% of respondents are at least moderately inclined to follow digital signage instructions. This is a strong indicator of trust, clarity, and perceived authority of the medium.
Moreover, respondents report tangible benefits in daily life:
- Nearly 50% find digital signage beneficial or very beneficial.
- Another 31.36% find it moderately beneficial.
This signals that digital signage enhances experiences by reducing confusion, improving navigation, offering useful reminders, or simply delivering relevant information at the right moment.
Overall perception of digital signage
Perceptions of digital signage are overwhelmingly positive:
- 34.75% very positive
- 30.51% positive
- 29.66% neutral
With only about 5% reporting negative or very negative views, digital signage enjoys broad acceptance and is generally regarded as a helpful, effective medium.
The high positivity rating underscores its psychological success: Digital signage is seen not as an intrusive technology but as a supportive one.
Conclusion
The results of this survey reveal a clear conclusion; digital signage is not only prevalent but psychologically impactful. It captures attention, enhances understanding, improves information retention, and motivates engagement. It is particularly powerful in retail, educational, and public settings, where timely and accessible information is essential.
The psychological effects observed (heightened attention, stronger memory encoding, increased motivation, and positive emotional response) illustrate why digital signage continues to grow across industries. As long as content remains relevant, visually appealing, and context-sensitive, digital signage will continue to be a trusted and influential medium.
If you’re the kind of person who loves digging into real data, you’ll probably enjoy our other internal comms trends report, too – feel free to take a look here.