Neuromarketing and Neuroscience in Consumer Behavior
Neuromarketing: Neuroscience Applied to Marketing
Neuromarketing is the application of neuroscience to marketing, primarily to measure emotions through brain imaging. It delves into decision architecture:
- System 1 – The brain’s automatic, intuitive, and unconscious thinking mode (responsible for approximately 85% of decisions).
- System 2 – A slow, controlled, analytical method of thinking where reason dominates (responsible for approximately 15% of decisions).
Most brands target their marketing strategies to System 1, aiming to connect emotionally with consumers.
Neuroscience: Understanding the Nervous System
Neuroscience Definition: Neuroscience is the study of the nervous system, concerning the biological basis of consciousness, perception, memory, and learning. Neuroscience links our observations about cognitive behavior with the actual physical processes that support such behavior.
Neuromarketing: Measuring Consumer Responses
Neuromarketing Definition: The application of neuroscience in marketing, primarily to measure emotions through brain imaging.
There are several electronic observation devices that require participant involvement:
Eye Tracking Monitor
An eye-tracking monitor is a mechanical device used to observe eye movements. Eye-tracking measures, for example, how a subject reads a print ad, views a commercial, or navigates a website, and how much time is spent looking at various parts of the stimulus. The monitor measures the viewer’s unconscious eye movements.
Pupilometer
A pupilometer is a mechanical device that observes and records changes in the diameter of a subject’s pupils. The method of research is based on the assumption that increased pupil size reflects positive attitudes toward a stimulus.
Psycho-galvanometer
A psycho-galvanometer is an instrument that measures galvanic skin response (GSR), or changes in the electrical resistance of the skin. The participant is fitted with small electrodes that monitor electrical resistance and is shown stimuli such as advertisements, packages, and slogans. The theory behind this device is that physiological changes, such as increased perspiration, accompany emotional reactions. Excitement leads to increased perspiration, which *decreases* the electrical resistance of the skin.
Facial Electromyography (Facial EMG)
Facial electromyography is a facial coding technique used to measure subtle facial expressions. One measurement focuses on the corrugator muscle, which produces frowns and indicates negative emotion. The other measures the zygomatic muscle, which produces smiles and indicates positive emotion. These muscle measures yield an overall positive and negative emotional activation score that can be used to quantitatively rate and describe an advertisement’s emotional activation and engagement.
Voice-Pitch Analyzer
A voice-pitch analyzer measures emotional reactions through changes in the participant’s voice. Changes in the relative vibration frequency of the human voice that accompany emotional reaction are measured with audio-adapted computer equipment.
Response Latency Monitor
A response latency monitor measures the amount of time a participant takes before answering a question. It is used as a measure of the relative preference for various alternatives. Response time is thought to be directly related to uncertainty. Therefore, the longer a participant takes to choose between two alternatives, the closer the alternatives are in terms of preference. If the participant makes a quick decision, one alternative is clearly preferred.