Asymmetric Perception of Sparse Shelves in Retail Displays

We investigated a perceptual bias in recognizing partially stocked shelves in retail displays. Across a series of experiments, a total of 475right-handed participants were asked to discriminate between pairs of store displays that were more versus less stocked with items. When askedto identify the sparser display in a sterile environment, participants were significantly faster and more accurate in responding to images presentedin the left visual field (LVF) than to images presented in the right visual field (RVF). The perceptual asymmetry persisted in a realistic setting, and was prominent under conditions of high task difficulty. The results are consistent with a view of this sparse-shelf bias as emerging from selective hemispheric activation to quantities rapidly assessed during a shopping trip.