Fashion Advertisements and Young Women: Determining Visual Attention Using Eye Tracking

The purpose of this research was to investigate how young women visually attended to a fashion advertisement by measuring their eye movements and to examine whether personal characteristics influenced individual differences in eye movements and self-reports of social comparison. The relationship between eye movement and participants' reported comparison to the model was also investigated. Participants (n = 80) completed part one of a questionnaire, viewed seven fashion advertisements while their eye movements were recorded, and then completed part two of a questionnaire. Data were analyzed using multiple regression. As compared to other advertisement elements, participants looked at the model significantly longer and more often. Internalization of the thin ideal influenced time spent looking at the model, eye fixations on the model, and self-reports of social comparison, while self-esteem and tendency for appearance comparison did not. Eye movement was correlated with self-reports of social comparison. Discussion of the possible use of eye tracking to objectively measure social comparison is provided.