Visual Attention, Behavioral Intention, and Choice Behavior Among Older Consumers Toward Sports Marketing Images: An Eye-Tracking Study

Abstract

Mental health benefits (i.e., relaxing and relieving pressure) can influence consumers' consumption decisions. However, there is still no clear understanding of the impact of mental health benefits on visual attention, behavioral intention, and choice behavior. Study 1 was thus aimed at exploring the visual attention and behavioral intention of older consumers with respect to exercise consumption. A sample of 186 older consumers was investigated. An eye-tracking analysis was used to evaluate the visual attention of participants observing health promotion messages, and questionnaires were used to assess the behavioral intention of the older consumers under consideration in this work. The findings confirmed that marketing pictures combining natural sportscapes with prevention focus messages (i.e., conveying information to consumers that it is safe and not easy to be injured when engaging in yoga activities in natural settings) can best capture older consumers' visual attention (e.g., fixation numbers and fixation times) and behavioral intentions. In Study 2, 75 participants were recruited. It was found that marketing pictures combining natural sportscapes with prevention focus messages were selected more by the participants, with health communication images successfully attracting them to choose the sports program products being presented. The findings of the two studies suggested that marketing pictures can effectively stimulate consumers' visual attention and has effects on their behavioral intention and choices toward exercising in a safe, natural environment.

Keywords: behavioral intention; eye movement; natural sportscape; urban sportscape; visual attention.