Abstract for: A Different Outlook On Stock-Flow Tasks: Using Eye Tracking Methodology To Explore Eye Movements Of Problem Solvers

Is it justified to state that the eyes are the mirror of our mind when performing stock-flow tasks? We are tempted to answer this affirmatively. This paper reports ongoing research on the use of eye tracking in the field of stock-flow tasks. Our aim is to shed more light on the relation between viewing and answering behavior when solving the Department Store task. The findings indicate that answers to the questions three and four of the Department Store Task were preluded by distinct viewing patterns. On average participants use two viewing cycles, sequences of looking at areas of interest in the graph. The participants with correct answers or answers according to the correlation heuristic look more frequently to the corresponding, typical parts of the graph. Participants answering ‘cannot be determined’ lack such a focus in the second cycle.