Eye Movement Monitoring as a Process Tracing Methodology in Decision Making Research

doi:10.1037/A0020692

Paper

Eye Movement Monitoring as a Process Tracing Methodology in Decision Making Research

Published May 1, 2011 · M. Glaholt, E. Reingold

Journal of Neuroscience, Psychology, and Economics

Q2 SJR score

220

Citations

17

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Abstract

Over the past half century, research on human decision making has expanded from a purely behaviorist approach that focuses on decision outcomes, to include a more cognitive approach that focuses on the decision processes that occur prior to the response. This newer approach, known as process tracing, has employed various methods, such as verbal protocols, information search displays, and eye movement monitoring, to identify and track psychological events that occur prior to the response (such as cognitive states, stages, or processes). In the present article, we review empirical studies that have employed eye movement monitoring as a process tracing method in decision making research, and we examine the potential of eye movement monitoring as a process tracing methodology. We also present an experiment that further illustrates the experimental manipulations and analysis techniques that are possible with modern eye tracking technology. In this experiment, a gaze-contingent display was used to manipulate stimulus exposure during decision making, which allowed us to test a specific hypothesis about the role of eye movements in preference decisions (the Gaze Cascade model; Shimojo, Simion, Shimojo, & Scheier, 2003). The results of the experiment did not confirm the predictions of the Gaze Cascade model, but instead support the idea that eye movements in these decisions reflect the screening and evaluation of decision alternatives. In summary, we argue that eye movement monitoring is a valuable tool for capturing decision makers’ information search behaviors, and that modern eye tracking technology is highly compatible with other process tracing methods such as retrospective verbal protocols and neuroimaging techniques, and hence it is poised to be an integral part of the next wave of decision research.

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Study Snapshot

Key takeawayEye movement monitoring is a valuable tool for capturing decision makers' information search behaviors and is compatible with other process tracing methods, making it an integral part of decision research.

PopulationOlder adults (50-71 years)

Sample size24

MethodsObservational

OutcomesBody Mass Index projections

ResultsSocial networks mitigate obesity in older groups.

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Eye Movement Monitoring as a Process Tracing Methodology in Decision Making Research

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References

Eye movements reveal solution knowledge prior to insight

Eye movements reveal partial solution knowledge prior to subjective experience of insight in anagram problems.

Evidence for top-down control of eye movements during visual decision making.

Top-down control of eye movements during visual decision making leads to greater selectivity in processing stimulus information and strong spatial biases in looking behavior, but these biases do not significantly influence participants' choices.

The time course of gaze bias in visual decision tasks

Gaze bias in visual decision tasks is robust and consistent across experiments and tasks, with a very early bias effect in the eight-alternative condition.

The 35th Sir Frederick Bartlett Lecture: Eye movements and attention in reading, scene perception, and visual search

Eye movements during reading have advanced over those in scene perception and visual search, and some of these paradigms should be adopted for studying these processes in real-world tasks.

Stimulus exposure and gaze bias: A further test of the gaze cascade model

Preexposure of stimuli decreases the magnitude of gaze bias in preference decisions, contrary to the gaze cascade model, but does not affect the likelihood of an item being chosen.

Citations