Eye Tracking and Income Statements: A Psychometric Investigation of Accounting Domain Schemata

• In Event: AIS Models

Abstract

Using eye tracking, this study explores differences in search performance as an indicator of the strength and resolution of an individual’s cognitive schema for the income statement. We hypothesize and find evidence that individuals with accounting domain knowledge have an advantage in a basic income statement search task - particularly in the presence of distractions and terminology manipulations. Additionally, we find that although all participants learn and improve their search performance over time, those with domain knowledge exhibit greater performance gains. We also document characteristics of the form of the schema including the relative accessibility of specific income statement line items. This study bridges extant research in visual cognition and the applied setting of accounting, providing a path forward for additional research that leverages popular physiological measurements used in cognitive psychology.

Authors

• Bachman P Fulmer, Florida State University

• Gregory J Gerard, Florida State University