An Eye-Tracking Study Involving Negotiation Style Differences and Psychophysiological Metrics in a Negotiation Support System

The absence of nonverbal information about the opponent when using a negotiation support system (NSS) is considered a disadvantage by negotiators who use this sort of information to formulate their negotiation strategies. This study investigates whether the cognitive response of individuals with different negotiation styles and their interface recognition pattern are different when information about the opponent is made available in an NSS. This information may be used by someone to create a first impression. Participants performed a simulated negotiation task and for analysis purpose, they were assigned into groups in accordance with their levels of assertiveness and cooperativeness. Pupillometry and scanpath were used to measure cognitive effort and tracking, respectively. Negotiators demonstrated significant differences in pupillary variation and scanpath while formulating their initial impression. The greatest mental workload detected as to analyzing the information presented was borne by the group with the most assertive and uncooperative style.