Getting the word out: neural correlates of enthusiastic message propagation

Abstract

What happens in the mind of a person who first hears a potentially exciting idea?We examined the neural precursors of spreading ideas with enthusiasm, and dissected enthusiasm into component processes that can be identified through automated linguistic analysis, gestalt human ratings of combined linguistic and non-verbal cues, and points of convergence/divergence between the two. We combined tools from natural language processing (NLP) with data gathered using fMRI to link the neurocognitive mechanisms that are set in motion during initial exposure to ideas and subsequent behaviors of these message communicators outside of the scanner. Participants' neural activity was recorded as they reviewed ideas for potential television show pilots. Participants' language from video-taped interviews collected post-scan was transcribed and given to an automated linguistic sentiment analysis (SA) classifier, which returned ratings for evaluative language (evaluative vs. descriptive) and valence (positive vs. negative). Separately, human coders rated the enthusiasm with which participants transmitted each idea. More positive sentiment ratings by the automated classifier were associated with activation in neural regions including medial prefrontal cortex; MPFC, precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex; PC/PCC, and medial temporal lobe; MTL. More evaluative, positive, descriptions were associated exclusively with neural activity in temporal-parietal junction (TPJ). Finally, human ratings indicative of more enthusiastic sentiment were associated with activation across these regions (MPFC, PC/PCC, DMPFC, TPJ, and MTL) as well as in ventral striatum (VS), inferior parietal lobule and premotor cortex. Taken together, these data demonstrate novel links between neural activity during initial idea encoding and the enthusiasm with which the ideas are subsequently delivered. This research lays the groundwork to use machine learning and neuroimaging data to study word of mouth communication and the spread of ideas in both traditional and new media environments.

Social influence and the brain: persuasion, susceptibility to influence and retransmission

“…Indeed, individual differences in VMPFC activity during persuasive message exposure successfully predicted participants' changes in sunscreen use one week after the scanning session compared to baseline usage beyond the participants' self-reported attitudes toward sunscreen and intentions to change their behavior [36]. In addition, research examining the effectiveness of smoking quit messages found that increased activity in the VMPFC during ad exposure predicted reductions in smoking one month following the scanning session compared to baseline beyond a number of self-report measures collected [37].…”

“…Similarly, neural activity in the right TPJ during an fMRI recommendation task was associated with greater success in convincing others of the value of one's own opinions during a retransmission task after the scan [37]. The authors suggest that those who were more successful in propagating their own preferences may have engaged in mentalizing (e.g., considering how to make relevant information useful for others) during initial idea encoding inside the scanner [37].…”

“…Specifically, increased activity in bilateral TPJ and the medial prefrontal cortex was correlated with an increased self-reported likelihood to mentalize about consumers' cognitive states, which in turn was associated with greater sales performance [43]. Similarly, neural activity in the right TPJ during an fMRI recommendation task was associated with greater success in convincing others of the value of one's own opinions during a retransmission task after the scan [37]. The authors suggest that those who were more successful in propagating their own preferences may have engaged in mentalizing (e.g., considering how to make relevant information useful for others) during initial idea encoding inside the scanner [37].…”

“…Although this line of inquiry is still in its infancy, existing studies highlight the importance of increased temporoparietal junction (TPJ) activity in communicators who effectively influence others [37,42,43]. The TPJ is commonly associated with considering the intentions and perspectives of others, called mentalizing [44,45].…”

Neural Prediction of Communication-Relevant Outcomes

“…Depending on the research question and hypotheses it may be most appropriate to select regions of interest in a number of different ways. As with several of the examples described above (e.g., Cascio et al, 2014;Falk, Morelli et al, 2013), one common approach is to select neural regions anatomically based on a review of prior literature on the construct(s) of interest. This approach promotes standardization across studies to the extent that anatomical regions are well defined.…”