An Experiment on Psychological Gaze Motion: A Re-Examination of Item Selection Behavior of Restaurant Customers

ABSTRACT This study introduces a model on psychological gaze motion in which restaurant customers are observed as they make their menu selections. The experiment was conducted at various restaurants in Seoul, Korea. The goal is to determine whether a customer's selection of a menu item is systematically guided by the item's position on the menu or by chance. Gaze movement models such as this describe how customers move their eyes across the menu and how that plays a role in their ultimate choice of a menu item. Earlier studies suggest that in general, the upper part of a menu often catches the initial attention of the customer. However, this study finds that the middle part is the first spot of eye contact for all three types of menu panels studied. The findings also reveal a chasm between customers and menu suppliers with regard to menu choice. While menu suppliers believed that on the first glance, customers tend to gaze at the upper left part of a menu, this study shows that customers in fact are more inclined to focus their eyes on the center and as such, are more likely to choose items from that location. These results are important since most menu planners consider the first point of customer eye contact as the best spot to place their most strategic menu items. INTRODUCTION The successful operation of a restaurant requires a series of processes spanning a comprehensive market research, item selection, pricing of entree, and crafting the menu cards. In particular, the process of designing a menu card is critical. It involves a strategy that outlines how to choose an item and then place it in the right spot on the menu. Nevertheless, relying routinely on past experiences in organizing menu cards rather than choosing a scientific and tactical approach may invite a multitude of problems. In the worst case scenario, an ill-fated menu design could ruin an otherwise well conceived food service business. In order to organize menus in a scientific manner, menu planners may find it helpful to consider the eye movement pattern of customers. Specifically, if one could identify the area of the menu focused mostly by a customer on the first glance, then the menu planner could place the most strategic items on that spot. As Kochilas (1991) points out, the goal of a successful menu design is to direct customers' attention to the most profitable items served. Put differently, the placement of a strategic item on the menu and how to set it apart from the rest are the key factors in creating profits for a restaurant. A few studies have offered some models for analyzing customer gaze movement. The most often cited model named Concept of the Focal Point was developed by Doerfler in 1978 and introduced by Livingston (1978). This model has been employed in a number of studies including Ninemeier (1984), Miller & Porter (1985), Idem (1986), Miller (1992), and Miller & Pavesic (1996). Although the theory has been widely cited for the past 30 years, academics have yet to thoroughly and rigorously prove its effectiveness. Doerfler's theory may be flawed in that it was primarily driven by his personal experiences as a consultant, and was never subjected to a rigorous scientific evaluation. There have been a few attempts to test the model empirically, however. One was by Gallup in 1987 which used hidden cameras to observe how customers made their food selections. The other was by Beverley Kay in 1985 in which the correlation between sales and the arrangement of menu pages was analyzed. While both studies, which used US citizens as subjects, told the same story for single-panel menus, their findings differed for double and triple-panel menus. The gaze movement of people may vary from country to country and is likely dependent on cultural and physical features. As a case in point, the so-called Left Marketing Theory widely used in business, refers to customers' tendency to turn their eyes toward the left side when they get off an elevator or escalator in a department store. …