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The eyes have it: Using eye tracking to inform information processing strategies in multi‐attributes choices
Author(s) -
Ryan Mandy,
Krucien Nicolas,
Hermens Frouke
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
health economics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.55
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1099-1050
pISSN - 1057-9230
DOI - 10.1002/hec.3626
Subject(s) - eye tracking , information processing , task (project management) , process (computing) , eye movement , computer science , order (exchange) , tracking (education) , cognitive psychology , psychology , artificial intelligence , economics , pedagogy , management , finance , operating system
Although choice experiments (CEs) are widely applied in economics to study choice behaviour, understanding of how individuals process attribute information remains limited. We show how eye‐tracking methods can provide insight into how decisions are made. Participants completed a CE, while their eye movements were recorded. Results show that although the information presented guided participants' decisions, there were also several processing biases at work. Evidence was found of (a) top‐to‐bottom, (b) left‐to‐right, and (c) first‐to‐last order biases. Experimental factors—whether attributes are defined as “best” or “worst,” choice task complexity, and attribute ordering—also influence information processing. How individuals visually process attribute information was shown to be related to their choices. Implications for the design and analysis of CEs and future research are discussed.