Guiding Decision Makers' Eye Movements with (Un)Predictable Object Locations

Abstract

We propose a new approach for guiding eye movements by controlling the predictability of object locations. We hypothesize that when a high (low) relevance object has a predictable location, observers are more (less) likely to fixate it compared with objects in unpredictable locations. We tested this hypothesis in three decision‐making studies, manipulating the location of a product label in an unpredictable, a predictable, and a mixed visual environment. In Study 1 and Study 2, we find that participants are less likely to fixate a low and medium relevance label in a predictable location, and in Study 3, we find that participants are more likely to fixate a high relevance label in a predictable location. Our findings suggest that predictable locations increase while unpredictable locations decrease top‐down control. The approach can be used to increase or decrease eye movements towards specific information depending on the goals of the choice architect. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Investigating Consumer Preferences for Production Process Labeling Using Visual Attention Data

“…Even though visual attention data revealed that participants paid greater attention to the plant images and container types, the results imply that greater attention to the plant image and container types did not factor into consumers’ bidding process. These results were in line with recent evidence [18,52,67].…”

“…Even though different knowledge and pollinator conservation involvement based respondent groups showed distinct visual attention patterns, these differences in visual attention may or may not necessarily impact participants’ bidding decisions. Consistent with Orquin et al (2018) [67], the regression results showed mixed messages about gaze cascade effects across the groups that differed in their knowledge and conservation practice involvement. For the self-perceived neonicotinoid knowledgeable group, there was no evidence that first/last fixation to the neonicotinoid labels or plant images led to changes in their bid values relative to their not knowledgeable counterparts.…”

“…By evaluating visual attention to more/less desirable features, one can assess how this information influences bidding. Visual attention provides useful information regarding participants’ decision-making behavior; however, it is not sufficient to identify whether the information was ignored or entered into the decision-making process [18,67]. In other words, the relationship between visual attention and consumer preferences may be weak [52].…”

Inferring attribute non-attendance using eye tracking in choice-based conjoint analysis

“…They show that repeated choices reinforce the ease of finding relevant information and that through the sequence of choice tasks, respondents become more selective and faster at acquiring that information. Orquin, Chrobot, and Grunert (2018) further demonstrate that predictability of the location of the information, which is the case in the CBC, increases (decreases) the likelihood of looking at information of high (low) relevance. That is, while eye movements are generally a result of both bottom-up (e. g., size of the stimuli), and top-down (e. g., consumer goals) factors, due to the learning that occurs in repeated choices, the latter seems to prevail (Orquin, Bagger, and Loose 2013).…”

Visual Biases in Decision Making

“…Decision makers often wish to ignore health, safety, or medical information when this information leads to unpleasant emotions or urges them to take undesirable actions (Sweeny et al 2010). Recent work by Orquin, Chrobot, and Grunert (2017) has shown that the predictability of object locations plays a role in our ability to fixate on interesting objects and ignore Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy irrelevant ones. The authors have shown that an unpredictable location increases attention to otherwise ignored nutrition labels.…”