Validation of Decision-Making Experimental Tasks in a Social Commerce Environment

Abstract

This study aimed to validate two purchase decision experimental tasks in a social commerce environment. This refers to online interactions and their contributions to users on websites in order to assist in their acquisition of goods and services. For that purpose, a quasi-experiment was developed to simulate the decision invoved in making a hotel reservation and purchasing a TV, using the eye tracking technique to analyze the processing of information. Task validation comprised the operationalization of the eye tracker, validation with specialists, and a pilot test. The fixation metrics and heat maps identified the areas of interest that received the most visual attention from the participants. It should be noted that the products’ recommendations were the most considered criterion. This study contributes to understanding the search for information and purchase decisions in social commerce.