New OBHDP Article: Your computer mouse and your eye movements help predict your choices

Triangulating decision-making via choices, eye fixations, and reaching trajectories

Geoffrey Fisher

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0749597825000330

People often face choices that involve tradeoffs over time (e.g., saving versus spending) or under uncertainty (e.g., taking a safe job versus a riskier one with higher potential rewards). A growing body of research is examining the process behind these decisions. Process tracing methods, such as tracking eye movements or mouse cursor trajectories, offer a window into how people gather and utilize information during decision-making. Eye tracking typically reflects external attention (i.e., what are people looking at) whereas mouse cursor trajectories may reveal internal attention (i.e., what people are mentally considering). This paper jointly examines eye-tracking and mouse cursor tracking to observe how decisions unfold in real time. Across two experiments, the author finds that both visual attention and mouse movements predict people’s choices. These tools reveal how seemingly minor factors, such as where information appears on a computer screen, can influence decisions. By capturing the dynamics of the decision-making process, this approach allows organizations to better understand, predict, and shape behavior.

P.S. If you can’t access the full-text, let us know (m-kouchaki@kellogg.northwestern.edu or mikebaer@asu.edu) and we’d be happy to share a copy.