The role of presentation order and orientation on information search and evaluations: An eye-tracking study

TY - CONF

T1 - The role of presentation order and orientation on information search and evaluations

T2 - 39th Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society: Computational Foundations of Cognition, CogSci 2017

AU - Heard, Claire L.

AU - Rakow, Tim

AU - Foulsham, Tom

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © CogSci 2017.

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - Previous research conducted by Bergus et al. (2002) identified that treatment evaluations are more negative when risks are presented last. Extending discussion of this order effect, the current studies investigate this effect in tabular style displays, manipulating both order and orientation; and using eye-tracking methodology, explores the effect of these variables on the information search process. Analysis from eye-tracking data revealed a tendency to read information sets sequentially (i.e. read all risk information before transitions to the other set), which is stronger for the vertical orientation where switching between information sets is less common. Further, while balanced search was observed when benefits presented first, when presented with the risks first, search becomes more risk-heavy. Eye-tracking measures did not strongly predict treatment evaluations, although, when holding other variables constant, time proportion spent on benefits positively predicted treatment evaluations.

AB - Previous research conducted by Bergus et al. (2002) identified that treatment evaluations are more negative when risks are presented last. Extending discussion of this order effect, the current studies investigate this effect in tabular style displays, manipulating both order and orientation; and using eye-tracking methodology, explores the effect of these variables on the information search process. Analysis from eye-tracking data revealed a tendency to read information sets sequentially (i.e. read all risk information before transitions to the other set), which is stronger for the vertical orientation where switching between information sets is less common. Further, while balanced search was observed when benefits presented first, when presented with the risks first, search becomes more risk-heavy. Eye-tracking measures did not strongly predict treatment evaluations, although, when holding other variables constant, time proportion spent on benefits positively predicted treatment evaluations.

KW - Eye-Tracking

KW - Information Design

KW - Information Search

KW - Order Effects

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85060981473&partnerID=8YFLogxK

M3 - Paper

AN - SCOPUS:85060981473

SP - 2174

EP - 2179

Y2 - 26 July 2017 through 29 July 2017

ER -