The distracting effect of mobile phones on visual attention in consumer decision-making: a gaze behavior perspective

ABSTRACT

Visual attention as a highly complex system is considered a scarce source. This study investigates the distraction effect (specifically, mobile phone usage unrelated to purchasing decisions) on visual attention during consumers’ decision-making processes of the Mobile native generation. An eye-tracking experiment utilizing 2-AFC tasks was used for the product choice procedure. The findings revealed no significant differences in gaze behavior in distracting and non-distracting conditions. Interestingly, the results indicate the significant effect of consumer distraction on the relationship between visual attention and product preference. A stronger tendency for a value-based gaze and attentional bias effect under distraction conditions was evidenced. The results of this research highlight the importance of further developing theories of attention in consumer decision-making in terms of the need to re-evaluate the effects of factors on visual attention in distraction-rich environments, particularly regarding mobile technology.

KEYWORDS:

• Gaze behavior
• eye-tracking
• distraction
• consumers’ decision-making

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. This article is based on the updated version of the original research (following conference paper) presented at the conference in the form of a poster: Bažantová and Novák (2022), The effect of distraction on visual attention in consumers’ decision-making. Proceedings of the European Marketing Academy, 50th, (111779)

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the Internal Grant Agency project of the Prague University of Economics and Business IGS F6/12/2021.

Notes on contributors

Simona Bažantová

Simona Bažantová is an assistant professor in the Department of Exact Methods at the Faculty of Management at Prague University of Economics and Business. Her research interest is eye-tracking research in the area of consumer behavior. Michal Novák is an assistant professor in the Department of Management at the Faculty of Management at Prague University of Economics and Business. His research interest is marketing communications, consumer behavior and eye-tracking research.

Michal Novák

Michal Novák is an assistant professor in the Department of Management at the Faculty of Management at Prague University of Economics and Business. His research interest is marketing communications, consumer behavior and eye-tracking research.