Gaze bias differences capture individual choice behaviour

Armin W. Thomas, Felix Molter, Ian Krajbich, Hauke R. Heekeren and Peter N. C. Mohr ()
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Armin W. Thomas: Technische Universität Berlin
Felix Molter: Freie Universität Berlin
Ian Krajbich: The Ohio State University
Hauke R. Heekeren: Freie Universität Berlin
Peter N. C. Mohr: Freie Universität Berlin

Nature Human Behaviour, 2019, vol. 3, issue 6, 625-635

Abstract: Abstract How do we make simple choices such as deciding between an apple and an orange? Recent empirical evidence suggests that choice behaviour and gaze allocation are closely linked at the group level, whereby items looked at longer during the decision-making process are more likely to be chosen. However, it is unclear how variable this gaze bias effect is between individuals. Here we investigate this question across four different simple choice experiments and using a computational model that can be easily applied to individuals. We show that an association between gaze and choice is present for most individuals, but differs considerably in strength. Generally, individuals with a strong association between gaze and choice behaviour are worse at choosing the best item from a choice set compared with individuals with a weak association. Accounting for individuals’ variability in gaze bias in the model can explain and accurately predict individual differences in choice behaviour.

Date: 2019
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DOI: 10.1038/s41562-019-0584-8

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