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Neuromarketing new and beyond the buzz
Techniques used in neuromarketing today include both brain
imaging and brainwave measurement. Brain imaging techniques,
such as Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and
Magnetoencephalography (MEG), produce wonderfully detailed
3-D images which highlight activity in different areas of the brain as
the subject performs an assigned task. However, the technology is
not particularly convenient to use; it tethers both researcher and
subject to an immobile apparatus which is expensive to operate,
and it requires that the subject's head be positioned inside a large
machine.
A more flexible approach is brainwave measurement, or
Electroencephalography (EEG), which uses electrodes placed on
the scalp to measure the electrical activity of the brain. While the
information it provides is much less precise than that from imaging
techniques, EEG technology has the advantage of being relatively
unobtrusive, and allows research subjects to enjoy some freedom
of movement.
Beyond the buzz – What does it mean?
The various brain measurement techniques show us parts of the
brain "lighting up" in response to stimuli, but what those brain
responses actually mean is subject to interpretation, based on neuroscientists’
understanding of what different brain structures do.
This understanding is not as complete or stable as many believe.
For example, we reviewed the results of the fMRI experiment conducted
by neuroscientist Marco Iacoboni at UCLA in February,
2006. Five volunteers viewed ads which aired during the
U.S. Super Bowl. Iacoboni reported that a scene in one ad,
However, the respondents themselves
reported that they found the ad funny.
While Iacoboni highlighted this as a "disconnect
between verbal reports on ads and
brain activity while viewing the ads," we
don't really regard these responses as contradictory.
Part of the amygdala's job is to
respond to sensory input which suggests a
potentially dangerous situation, e.g., "There's
a snake!" But that same sensory input is
subsequently evaluated by other parts of
the brain, which may conclude "No, it's only
a twig." The accompanying release of tension
often manifests itself in a humorous
response to a situation which may have
initially appeared threatening. Thus the
apparent disconnect may simply be a
reflection of the fact that the brain as a
whole is far greater than the sum of its
parts. Relying solely on the brain response
in a particular region, without probing the
subjects’ conscious experience of an event,
may lead to faulty conclusions.
Source:MBrown
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