A role for eye-tracking research in accounting and financial reporting?

Abstract

We identify a promising new application for eye movement research, through applying eye tracking to the development of behavioural research in accounting and financial reporting. To identify if eye tracking has potential research benefit, we undertook a small pilot study of how a financial statement is read by professional accountants and novice readers. Despite a myriad of global efforts aimed at improving financial reporting usefulness in decision making, the eye-tracking results indicated there remain possibly serious problems for users in reading and decision-making efficiency using financial reporting information. This chapter hopes to encourage interest among the eye-tracking community in the design and development of behavioural research methods for accounting, business and financial reporting, for example, in how to approach using eye tracking to investigate and develop more user-centred accounting reporting alternatives.