The use of eye-tracking and retrospective interviews to study teenagers' exposure to online advertising

This study investigated (1) potential exposure, (2) actual exposure, and (3) perceived exposure to online advertising in Swedish 15-year-olds. Eye movements of these teenagers were measured while they surfed on the internet for 15 minutes. The results show that the teenagers were potentially exposed to 132 advertisements during this time. The actual exposure was 10 per cent of all potential advertisements. A mixed effect model analysis indicates that position and size of advertisements are important factors influencing the teenagers' visual attention to advertising, whereas subject gender did not have any significant effect. A retrospective interview based on previously recorded eye-tracking data revealed that there was a substantial difference between the teenagers' actual and perceived exposure to advertisements, and that they were mainly unaware of their actual exposure. The retrospective interviews also showed that the subjects had difficulties in identifying the advertisements and advertised product, as well as the advertiser.