title: The ticking time bomb: Using eye-tracking methodology to capture attentional processing during gradual time constraints.
abstract: Many decisions are made under suboptimal circumstances, such as time constraints. We examined how different experiences of time constraints affected decision strategies on a probabilistic inference task and whether individual differences in working memory accounted for complex strategy use across different levels of time. To examine information search and attentional processing, we used an interactive eye-tracking paradigm where task information was occluded and only revealed by an eye fixation to a given cell. Our results indicate that although participants change search strategies during the most restricted times, the occurrence of the shift in strategies depends both on how the constraints are applied as well as individual differences in working memory. This suggests that, in situations that require making decisions under time constraints, one can influence performance by being sensitive to working memory and, potentially, by acclimating people to the task time gradually.
authors: Department of Psychology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA. afrancowatkins@auburn.edu.
authors: Ana M
authors: AM
authors: Franco-Watkins
authors: Department of Psychology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA.
authors: Matthew E
authors: ME
authors: Davis
authors: Department of Psychology, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA.
authors: Joseph G
authors: JG
authors: Johnson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D003657:Decision Making / Q000502:physiology*; D053483:Eye Movement Measurements; D006801:Humans; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Attention; Decision making; Eye tracking; Strategy; Working memory