Application of selected neuroscientific methods in consumer sensory analysis: A review

Abstract

Neuromarketing or consumer neuroscience is a relatively new market research subdiscipline that has gained popularity among consumer behavior scientists in the past two decades or so. It combines neurobiology with behavioral psychology to understand consumer behavior, more specifically about their decisions related to choices/preferences and purchase. The purpose of this review is to explore the potential of using neuroscientific methods for consumer sensory science research. By no means, this is an exhaustive review hindered by the fact that there are countless articles on neuromarketing and consumer neuroscience in the literature. The author has tried to show the applicability of neuroscientific methods in consumer sensory sciences, specifically electroencephalography and eye tracking, which could potentially "complement" the sensory methodologies to gain better consumer insight. Both these techniques are relatively inexpensive, portable, and minimally invasive techniques that are already being used by some sensory scientists. They could be incorporated with ease in the research portfolio of consumer sensory researchers who would like to use them to study consumer affect. It is recommended that the researchers use proper experimental design that takes into consideration the confounding variables as much as possible. The two methods mentioned before have been proven to be relatively reliable and repeatable. Lastly, these methods would also require ethical oversight because of the involvement of human subjects.

An advance in novel intelligent sensory technologies: From an implicit‐tracking perspective of food perception

“…EEG is a noninvasive electrophysiological monitoring method used to record the post‐synaptic potential of brain neurons and accurately detect brain activity changes (Bell & Cuevas, 2012). It involves placing multiple electrodes on the scalp to measure the change of electrical signals in the brain, and each electrode acts as an individual channel that records the electrochemical brain activity (Adhikari, 2023; Songsamoe et al., 2019). EEG was first reported by Hans Berger in the late 1920s, aiming at providing a “window onto the brain.” In the 1970s, Krugman and Hansen made a significant scientific breakthrough by using EEG to unveil the activity processes of the left and right hemispheres of the human brain.…”

“…In addition to the complexity of data processing and the rationality of subject selection (e.g., age, gender, and number) mentioned before, the EEG technique does have certain limitations. First, the spatial resolution of EEG is modest, only able to detect superficial cortical activity (Adhikari, 2023). This makes it less suitable for measuring consumers’ motivational tendencies when comparing foods with subtle differences and similar attributes (Walsh et al., 2017).…”

Effects of Simulated Airplane Cabin Noise on In-Flight Meal Perception in the Brain Using Electroencephalography

“…Data from two participants were excluded from further analysis due to not meeting this minimum requirement. Power spectral analysis of the EEG signals was performed using a Fast Fourier transform in various frequency bands: theta (4-8 Hz), alpha (8-12 Hz), and beta (12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25). Absolute power in both quiet and noisy conditions was calculated to assess the impact of airplane background noise on baseline neural activity, using NeuroGuide 3.0.9 software (Neurostat, Applied Neuroscience, Inc.).…”

“…However, most sensory scientists have not conducted studies on visual food perception because it occurs prior to food tasting and is difficult to measure using traditional sensory evaluation methods. Currently, various new technologies are being applied for sensory evaluation, such as 3D virtual reality, eye-trackers, and face-readers [18]. Among them, electroencephalography (EEG) can be used to measure brain activity associated with visual food perception with high temporal resolution [19].…”

Advances in sensory science: From perception to consumer acceptance

“…Neuromarketing is a relatively new market research subdiscipline used to understand consumer behavior related to choices/preferences and purchase. The applicability of neuroscientific methods in consumer sensory sciences, especially electroencephalography and eye tracking, is discussed (Adhikari, 2023).…”