Der Einfluss des Blickverhaltens auf die Urteilsbildung über Politiker

This study complements research on the effects of visual communication by politicians by combining eye tracking and real-time response measurement. It investigates the extent to which non-verbal behaviour affects the visual attention of and (spontaneous) impression formation among viewers, while also analysing the relationship between gaze behaviour and impression formation. Participants watched videos of political speeches either with or without sound. The results show that specific non-verbal behaviour (e.g. emotional facial expressions or hand gestures) direct visual attention. Furthermore, both verbal statements and non-verbal communication affect spontaneous opinion formation about politicians. The effects of non-verbal communication occur especially if no verbal information is available. Moreover, the results indicate some relation between attention distribution and impression formation.