Dynamic attribute activation explains gaze biases in choice

People tend to choose the options they look at more. Prior work explains this effect by assuming that visual attention increases preference for the attended option. However, it remains unclear why looking at an option increases its preference and when this relationship is weakened. Across three studies using an experimental paradigm that combines eye-tracking and a think-aloud protocol, we provide evidence that visual attention shapes preference by activating attributes associated with the attended option. Critically, this mechanism can be modulated by contextual factors such as stimulus desirability and behavioral goals, and when these factors are incongruent, the influence of visual attention on choice is weakened. To account for these patterns, we propose a new computational model of gaze-driven attribute activation. Our model subsumes existing theories as special cases, and uniquely predicts which attributes are brought to mind by gaze and how they shape downstream decisions. Together, our work offers a mechanistic explanation of a fundamental driver of choice as well as its boundary conditions.