A Meta-Analysis on the Effect of Visual Attention on Choice

Abstract

Decision makers attend more to preferred choice options and to the ultimately chosen option, but does visual attention influence preferences and choice? Several theories suggest that attention has a causal effect on preferences and choice and a growing number of studies have examined the question with experimental methods. However, the evidence for an effect of attention on choice is mixed and highly contended. To advance the debate on the role of attention in decision making, we meta-analyze studies that manipulate attention-to-choice options and measure the effect on 2-alternative preferential choices. We identify 3 different methods for manipulating attention and find that studies manipulating total exposure time enhance choices the most, P =.541, 95% CI [.523,.560], p