Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania explored how eye movements relate to money decisions, reporting a link between where someone looks and whether they choose to spend. The study appeared in Science Advances.
In a controlled laboratory setting, participants took on roles as buyers or sellers in a sequence of tasks that included purchasing lottery tickets and negotiating sales. Throughout these sessions, researchers monitored gaze direction and pupil response while noting how long participants fixated on particular options and how their attention shifted as choices unfolded.
Findings indicated that the act of deciding to purchase was often accompanied by notable pupil dilation, a subtle physiological cue that appeared before an overt purchase was made. The data also showed a clear relationship between dwell time and purchase likelihood: the longer a person focused on a given item, the more likely they were to settle on a price or agree to a deal. This pattern suggests that visual attention not only reveals interest but may also amplify perceived value in the decision process.
Professor Michael Platt, a lead author on the study, explained that looking at something can amplify its significance in the brain, reinforcing how attention strengthens the perceived importance of information or goods in the moment of choice.
From a commercial perspective, the researchers argued that advancing eye-tracking technology makes it easier to map exactly where and for how long consumers look at products, ads, or price points. Such data could enhance the efficiency of modern commerce by aligning interfaces with natural viewing patterns, potentially guiding how offers are framed and presented to readers or shoppers in digital marketplaces. This insight aligns with a broader trend toward measuring real-time attention as a predictor of decision outcomes, a change that can reshape how marketing teams design experiences and how retailers structure customer journeys. [Citation: Science Advances, University of Pennsylvania]
As the study notes, when people have more opportunity to scrutinize options they consider valuable, they may become more inclined to engage with those choices and take prudent risks that align with their perceived gains. The work adds to a growing body of evidence that visual cognition plays a central role in economic behavior, informing strategies for pricing, product placement, and user experience across markets in North America and beyond.