Abstract
In our information-rich environment, the gaze direction of another indicates their current focus of attention. Following the gaze of another, results in gaze-evoked shifts in joint attention, a phenomenon critical for the functioning of social cognition. Previous research in joint attention has shown that objects that are attended by another are more liked than ignored objects. Here, we investigated this effect of gaze-cueing on participants’ preferences for unknown food items. Participants provided their willingness to pay (WTP), taste and health preferences for food items before and after a standard gaze-cueing paradigm. We observed a significant effect of gaze-cueing on participants’ WTP bids. Specifically, participants were willing to pay more money for the food items that were looked at by another person. In contrast, there was a decrease in preference for the food items that were ignored by another person. Interestingly, this increase in WTP occurred without participants’ awareness of the contingency between the cue and target. These results highlight the influence of social information on human choice behavior and lay the foundation for experiments in neuromarketing and consumer decision making.
Highlights
In our information-rich environment, the gaze direction of another indicates their current focus of attention
No changes in participants’ taste and health judgements for food items that were consistently looked at in comparison to those that were ignored by another person were observed, participants’ willingness to pay (WTP) for food items that were the focus of another’s attention was significantly higher than their WTP for unattended food items
Participants’ eye-tracking data and their performance in a discrimination task suggest that the increase in WTP occurred independently of their overt attention to the food item and their knowledge of the contingency between the gaze cue and the target food item
Summary
In our information-rich environment, the gaze direction of another indicates their current focus of attention. Previous research in joint attention has shown that objects that are attended by another are more liked than ignored objects We investigated this effect of gaze-cueing on participants’ preferences for unknown food items. Objects that are the focus of another’s attention are preferred over unattended ones[19], they are better remembered than the ignored objects[20] This increase in liking of an object from the gaze-evoked shift in attention was observed for eye gaze cues and not for other cues causing similar shifts in attention, whether they were social, like pointing hands[21], or non-social, like arrows[19]. The dwell time or the time spent looking at the product was used as an index of overt attention
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
