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Study Reveals Buyers Prefer Bull Traits Over Economics

3/20/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Charley Martinez, an economist at the University of Tennessee, led a study using eye-tracking to show buyers focus on physical traits when selecting bulls.
The study found that 11% viewed economic indexes, while 97% fixated on phenotype.
Improving how genetic information is presented and educating buyers could improve decision-making.
Future work will examine catalog designs to maximize use of economic tools.

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Story summary

Charley Martinez, an economist at the University of Tennessee, led a study using eye-tracking to show buyers focus on physical traits when selecting bulls.
The study found that 11% viewed economic indexes, while 97% fixated on phenotype.
Improving how genetic information is presented and educating buyers could improve decision-making.
Future work will examine catalog designs to maximize use of economic tools.