A Study on the Influence of Editing Density on Attentional Disengagement Behavior in Advertising

Editing density is a core structural parameter in digital video advertising that shapes early visual attention through rapid shot transitions; however, its psychological impact under different platform interaction mechanisms remains underexplored. This study aims to construct an interdisciplinary model that links a controllable advertising editing parameter (editing density) with attention regulation and cognitive load processes under different interaction mechanisms (skippable versus non-skippable), and to explain its effects on attentional disengagement behavior in pre-roll advertising. Grounded in visual rhythm theory (digital media design), cognitive load theory (psychology), and human-computer interaction perspectives, the research establishes and tests a corresponding moderated mediation framework. Through three sequential between-subjects experiments, the study examines the effects of editing density (low, medium, high) on attentional disengagement, with advertising attention and cognitive load as mediators and ad type as the key moderator. The results reveal that while higher editing density consistently predicts increased attentional disengagement, the underlying psychological pathways diverge fundamentally: in skippable ads, high density elevates short-term attention but accelerates cognitive switching instability; in non-skippable ads, it significantly increases cognitive load and processing fatigue, thereby strengthening internalized disengagement. This demonstrates a “consistent outcome, divergent mechanism” effect. The findings underscore the necessity for an interaction-aware and cognitively adaptive approach to balancing editing density, moving beyond a universal design constant. This study provides empirical guidance for computational advertising design and the configuration of viewer-centric video rhythms in digital media environments.