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When the eyes say buy: visual fixations during hypothetical consumer choice improve prediction of actual purchases

Author

Listed:
  • Taisuke Imai

    (Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich)

  • Min Jeong Kang

    (California Institute of Technology)

  • Colin F. Camerer

    (California Institute of Technology)

Abstract

Consumers typically overstate their intentions to purchase products, compared to actual rates of purchases, a pattern called “hypothetical bias”. In laboratory choice experiments, we measure participants’ visual attention using mousetracking or eye-tracking, while they make hypothetical as well as real purchase decisions. We find that participants spent more time looking both at price and product image prior to making a real “buy” decision than making a real “don’t buy” decision. We demonstrate that including such information about visual attention improves prediction of real buy decisions. This improvement is evident, although small in magnitude, using mousetracking data, but is not evident using eye-tracking data.

Suggested Citation

  • Taisuke Imai & Min Jeong Kang & Colin F. Camerer, 2019. "When the eyes say buy: visual fixations during hypothetical consumer choice improve prediction of actual purchases," Journal of the Economic Science Association, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 5(1), pages 112-122, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jesaex:v:5:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1007_s40881-019-00071-3
    DOI: 10.1007/s40881-019-00071-3
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Daniel T. Knoepfle & Joseph Tao-yi Wang & Colin F. Camerer, 2009. "Studying Learning in Games Using Eye-Tracking," Journal of the European Economic Association, MIT Press, vol. 7(2-3), pages 388-398, 04-05.
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    8. Elena Reutskaja & Rosemarie Nagel & Colin F. Camerer & Antonio Rangel, 2011. "Search Dynamics in Consumer Choice under Time Pressure: An Eye-Tracking Study," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 101(2), pages 900-926, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Mesfin G. Genie & Mandy Ryan & Nicolas Krucien, 2023. "Keeping an eye on cost: What can eye tracking tell us about attention to cost information in discrete choice experiments?," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(5), pages 1101-1119, May.
    2. Andre Veiga & Tommaso Valletti, 2020. "Attention, recall and purchase: Experimental evidence on online news and advertising," Working Papers 20-15, NET Institute.
    3. Amasino, Dianna R. & Dolgin, Jack & Huettel, Scott A., 2023. "Eyes on the account size: Interactions between attention and budget in consumer choice," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    4. David J. Cooper & Ian Krajbich & Charles N. Noussair, 2019. "Choice-Process Data in Experimental Economics," Journal of the Economic Science Association, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 5(1), pages 1-13, August.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Mousetracking; Eye-tracking; Hypothetical bias; Prediction;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • D90 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - General
    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior

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