Gaze and Pupil Dilation Can Reveal a Decision Before It’s Made

A person sitting on a stairway, wearing a suit and smiling. The staircase features an ornate, decorative railing, and the background includes red brick walls and architectural details. — Penn Integrates Knowledge professor Michael Platt holds appointments in the Department of Psychology in the School of Arts & Sciences, the Department of Neuroscience in the Perelman School of Medicine, and the Marketing Department in the Wharton School.

A study by Penn neuroscientist Michael Platt and colleagues reveals that eye movement and pupil dilation can predict decision-making, particularly in financial scenarios involving loss aversion. This research could lead to personalized interventions to influence decision-making processes, especially among older individuals, by understanding the biological aspects of decisions based on where a person looks and for how long.