Reliability of looking time

Abstract

Twenty-eight college students viewed two sets of 30 color photographs each under instructions to look at each picture for as long as they wished. Equal thirds of the stimuli in eachset were selected from high, middle, and low complexity levels. The sets were presented 7-10 weeks apart. The results indicated significant between-and within-session correlations that were not dependent on stimulus complexity. It was suggested that the findings were indicative of a consistency in either the rate at which Ss process information or the amount of information they process or both.A recently published bibliography (Leckart & Faw, 1968) indicates that in the last 10 years over 100 studies have appeared in the literature which have used free looking time as the dependent variable. In these studies free looking time is defined as the amount of time S spends looking at a stimulus when he is free to look at it for as long as he wishes. And, despite the fact that these studies have been conceived of as investigations of orienting behavior, exploratory behavior, attention, and perceptual development they indicate that looking time is a function of stimulus as well as subject variables (e.g., Bakan & Leckart, 1966; Berlyne, 1958;Brown & Farha, 1966;Day, 1966;Leckart, 1966;McReynolds, 1963; Nunnally&Faw, 1968;andZamansky, 1958).The purpose of the present study was to determine the reliability of the looking time measure. Accordingly, it was decided to give Ss two similar looking time tests separated by a few weeks and note any consistency in looking times between and within sessions. METHOD SubjectsThe Ss were 30 undergraduate volunteers of both sexes selected from an introductory psychology course. The data from two Ss was incomplete because of their unavailability for the second session. ApparatusThe stimuli were 60 color slides of landscapes, single objects, and arrays of objects which were rated on a 7-point complexity scale and used in previous experiments (e.g., Leckart, 1966;Leckart, 1967). On the basis of the mean complexity ratings the stimuli were divided into two sets of 30 each. Within each set of 30 there were 10 stimuli selected from the high, middle, and low complexity range. The means for these stimuli were: Set I-high =2.60, middle =4.12, and low = 6.09; and Set 2-high = 2.62, middle = 4.12, and low =6.11.The stimuli in Set I were used for the first free looking session and the stimuli in Set 2 were used for the second free looking session.The stimuli were projected on a white screen by a Kodak Carousel 700 projector placed 8 ft from the screen. Ss sat in a chair placed 5 ft from and facing the screen on which a 20 x 30 in. image was projected.The stimuli were changed with a manual switch provided the Ss. Looking times were automatically recorded to the nearest .1 sec with an Esterline-Angus event recorder. Neither the recorder nor the supporting electronics could be seen or heard by S. ProcedureSubjects were instructed to view the stimuli one at a time, looking at each for as long as they wished. Finger electrod...

An approach to investigating the emotional determinants of consumption durations: Why do people consume what they consume for as long as they consume it?

“…Toward that end, we borrow the representation of emotions developed by Mehrabian and Russell (1974) and further refined by Russell (1980;Russell et al, 1989). Further, we utilize assessments of exposure durations comparable to those adopted by Leckart (1966;Leckart & Bakan, 1965, 1969 and applied to advertising by Morrison and Dainofl (1972). We extend these methods to the area of musical psychology investigated by Brown (1979Brown ( , 1981 and explored in the context of consumer behaviol by Holbrook and Anand (1990) and by Kellaris (1992).…”

“…Hence, we have sought a more unobtrusive behavioral measure of overall receptiveness to a consumption experience based on length of voluntary self-exposure-what is generally referred to as "exploration time" (Berlyne, 1971, chap. 13), "looking time" (Leckart, 1966;Leckart & Bakan, 1965, 1969, or "listening time" (Crozier, 1974(Crozier, , 1981. Measures of exploration, looking, or listening time have frequently served as dependent variables in psychological studies of esthetic behavior (e.g., Berlyne, 1971Berlyne, , 1974.…”