Submission 154
Golden Eye --- How Traders Focus on and Select Information in Experimental Asset Markets
PS7-G09-05
Presented by: Martin Angerer
In this study, we examine which trading screen elements traders focus on during trading in experimental asset markets. In particular, we differentiate between the order submission field and six information elements, including among others the order book and price chart. Using eye-tracking technology, we determine which elements garner the most visual attention and if this aligns with the traders' intentional selection of elements. Furthermore, we evaluate factors influencing the attentional focus on screen elements and how traders' focus impacts trading decisions and performance. Our results show that traders mainly look at the order book, paying minimal attention to the price chart. There's a significant alignment between the elements that traders deliberately select and those that receive the most attentional focus. Additionally, cognitive abilities play a non-trivial role in which screen elements traders focus on. Finally, our evidence on a potential link between visual attentional focus and trading performance is mixed.