Academic Consortium Publications for June 2022

Eye-tracking results can indicate what consumers look at and for how long. These studies always makes me think about Kaa, the reticulated python with the hypnotic eyes from The Jungle Book. Lock eyes with Kaa and there is a good chance of being his next meal. Perhaps it’s not too different for consumers shopping for their next meal. Do they gaze more intensely at what they want to eat? Recently, Puerta et al. (2022; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2022.113622) completed an eye-tracking study involving 10 gluten-free bread labels and 86 consumers with celiac disease. Self-reported acceptance was highest for the well-known gluten-free brands. Self-reported trust was high for all products, but gaze times for ingredients or nutritional facts were longer if the bread didn’t have a gluten-free certification. So maybe the consumers were seeking verification that these no-certification products were indeed gluten free? The authors interpret the gaze fixation as occurring due to goal-driven attention and stimulus-driven attention. While you think of all the possibilities for building on this work, consider fictional Kaa’s hunting strategy. Perhaps his gaze is no less deep than the gaze his prey returns. But there is a difference: the prey’s attention is entirely stimulus-driven attention (focused on Kaa), whereas Kaa’s attention is both stimulus-driven (focused on the prey) and goal-driven (determining when and how to strike). I have not seen any eye-tracking sensory studies involving reticulated pythons, but if you decide to do this research and find one staring you with keen interest, be wary! For more excellent peer-reviewed research (and maybe jungle survival tips), see these recent publications from the Compusense Academic Consortium below!