Neuroscience Research

For years, most criticism of neuromarketing has been either alarmism ("OMG! They are reading my thoughts to make me buy stuff!") or outright dismissal ("There's no valid science, they are all charlatans!"). In the last few weeks,…

A specific part of the brain responsible for making decisions about value has been identified by neuroeconomics researchers at the University of Pennsylvania. Using fMRI, psychology professor Joseph Kable has shown that the…

A new, three year research program will evaluate how neuromarketing is being used has been launched at Oxford:

We think of brands as amazingly powerful. People prefer whatever cola they are drinking, as long as it's labeled Coca Cola. People pay lots more for a Ralph Lauren Polo shirt than a generic shirt of identical quality. And while the…

OK, readers, I need some input. Here's my plan. Every neuromarketing firm says it has data showing the effectiveness of its methods. I really believe that some actually do know what they are doing. But, there's little or no…

In our language, we tend to associate height with good. Heaven is above us, Hell is somewhere beneath us. God is described as appearing on a mountain, not in a valley. You "look up" to someone you admire. It turns out that this…

Reciprocity, also called reciprocation, is a common enough theme here at Neuromarketing. The concept of reciprocity suggests that giving someone something, or doing a favor for someone, establishes a subtle return obligation. An…

We talk a lot about EEG measurements for neuromarketing purposes, and occasionally fMRI. We've also discussed facial coding, in which expert viewers analyze fleeting facial expressions to detect emotional states. A technique related to…

Late-night infomercials and commercials often promote subjects like buying real-estate with no money down and other get-rich quick schemes. While these promotions are broadcast in the wee hours because air time is cheaper and more…

It's no surprise that most of us will adjust our own expressed views to those around us. If your friends are raving about the meal you all just ate, you might tend to go with the flow rather than being the solo critic. Perhaps you…