scholarly journals How Neuroscience-Based Research Methodologies Can Deliver New Insights to Marketers

Author(s):  
Dr. Hedda Martina Sola ◽  

While traditional market research methods are focused on surveys and group discussions, consumers’ attitudes, the choices they make, and the behaviour they display are all driven by a complex set of factors, and much of what is happening takes place in the subconscious mind. Learning that a stimulus engages in a positive way and that memory formation is taking place does not tell the marketer anything about the quality and impact of these memories or the engagement. With the technological advances, the emergence of neuroscience-based methodologies offers a higher degree of reliability. In the recent years, a noticeable increase in the use of eye-tracking and EEG frontal asymmetry technique was observed to measure cognitive processes of consumers among which are attention and perception to gain insights into their decision-making processes, consumer preferences and/or motivations. Using a real-world use case, this study highlights the importance of using neuroscience-based methodologies to evaluate packaging design to identify how well the brand is positioning itself on the subconscious level. While results from our study suggest that subjects displayed avoidance behaviour according to the lower frontal alpha asymmetry score, the statistical analysis failed to show significant difference between left and right hemisphere. Regardless of the statistically insignificant EEG findings, relatively longer times to first fixation among the areas on the visual suggest that the visual is not optimally designed and that for obtaining insightful data in product packaging field, relying on eye-tracking techniques is sufficient for reliable insights.

Author(s):  
Shanique A Martin ◽  
Shane D Morrison ◽  
Viren Patel ◽  
Fermín Capitán-Cañadas ◽  
Anabel Sánchez-García ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The evaluation of gender-affirming facial feminization surgery (FFS) outcomes can be highly subjective, which has resulted in a limited understanding of the social perception of favorable gender and aesthetic facial appearance following these procedures. The growing use of eye-tracking technology in the assessment of surgical outcomes has introduced an objective measure of viewer subconscious gaze, which may provide more insight into how viewer characteristics may influence gaze, attention and perception of favorable FFS outcomes. Objective In this study, eye-tracking technology was used to measure attention and perception of surgery naïve cisgender female and feminized transgender faces, based on viewer gender identity. Methods Thirty-two participants (18 cisgender and 14 transgender) were enrolled and shown five photos each of surgery naïve cisgender female and feminized transgender faces. Gaze was captured using the Tobii X2 60 eye-tracking device (Tobii, Stockholm, Sweden) and participants rated the gender and aesthetic appearance of each face using Likert-type scales. Results Total image gaze fixation time did not differ by participant gender identity (6.00 vs 6.04 sec, p = 0.889), however, transgender participants spent more time evaluating the forehead/brow, buccal/mandibular regions and chin (p < 0.001). Multivariate regression analysis showed significant associations between viewer gender identity, age, race, and education and the time spent evaluating gender salient facial features. Feminized faces were rated as more masculine with poorer aesthetic appearance than surgery naïve cisgender female faces, however, there was no significant difference in the distribution of gender appearance ratings assigned to each photo by cisgender and transgender participants. Conclusions These results demonstrate that gender identity influences subconscious attention and gaze on female faces. Even so, differences in gaze distribution did not correspond to subjective rated gender appearance for either surgery naïve cisgender female or feminized transgender faces, further illustrating the complexity of evaluating social perception of favorable FFS outcomes.


Author(s):  
Ahmed Ezzat ◽  
Alexandros Kogkas ◽  
Josephine Holt ◽  
Rudrik Thakkar ◽  
Ara Darzi ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Within surgery, assistive robotic devices (ARD) have reported improved patient outcomes. ARD can offer the surgical team a “third hand” to perform wider tasks and more degrees of motion in comparison with conventional laparoscopy. We test an eye-tracking based robotic scrub nurse (RSN) in a simulated operating room based on a novel real-time framework for theatre-wide 3D gaze localization in a mobile fashion. Methods Surgeons performed segmental resection of pig colon and handsewn end-to-end anastomosis while wearing eye-tracking glasses (ETG) assisted by distributed RGB-D motion sensors. To select instruments, surgeons (ST) fixed their gaze on a screen, initiating the RSN to pick up and transfer the item. Comparison was made between the task with the assistance of a human scrub nurse (HSNt) versus the task with the assistance of robotic and human scrub nurse (R&HSNt). Task load (NASA-TLX), technology acceptance (Van der Laan’s), metric data on performance and team communication were measured. Results Overall, 10 ST participated. NASA-TLX feedback for ST on HSNt vs R&HSNt usage revealed no significant difference in mental, physical or temporal demands and no change in task performance. ST reported significantly higher frustration score with R&HSNt. Van der Laan’s scores showed positive usefulness and satisfaction scores in using the RSN. No significant difference in operating time was observed. Conclusions We report initial findings of our eye-tracking based RSN. This enables mobile, unrestricted hands-free human–robot interaction intra-operatively. Importantly, this platform is deemed non-inferior to HSNt and accepted by ST and HSN test users.


2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 507-513 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Chieffo ◽  
Gianpiero Tamburrini ◽  
Massimo Caldarelli ◽  
Concezio Di Rocco

Object Functional involvement of the thalamus in cognitive processing has been only anecdotally reported in the literature, and these cases are mostly related to thalamic hemorrhages; there is no available information on cognitive development in children with thalamic tumors. Methods All children admitted with a diagnosis of thalamic tumor at the authors' institution between January 2008 and January 2011 were considered for the present study. Exclusion criteria were age less than 18 months and the presence of severe neurological deficits, both of which prevented a reliable neuropsychological evaluation. A complete preoperative neuropsychological evaluation was performed. Results Twenty children were selected (mean age 102.4 months). Total IQ was in the normal range in all patients (mean 90.1, SD 13.87) with a significant difference between verbal IQ (mean 97.70, SD 17.77) and performance IQ (mean 84.82, SD 17.01). A significant correlation was found between global cognitive impairment and a histological finding of low-grade tumors (p < 0.001). Children with a mesial thalamic tumor had a higher working memory deficit and delayed recall disorders (p < 0.001). Naming disorders were related to the presence of a bilateral (p < 0.001) or mesial (p < 0.001) thalamic tumor, without a significant difference between left or right hemisphere involvement. A significant correlation was also found between the presence of neurolinguistic disorders and mesially located tumors (p < 0.001). Children with right-sided tumors more frequently had constructional apraxia and executive function disorders (p < 0.001). Conclusions The present study suggests that thalamic tumors in different locations might have specific neuropsychological profiles.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. e17-e28
Author(s):  
Karla Kubitz ◽  
Claire-Marie Roberts ◽  
Melissa Hunfalvay ◽  
Nicholas Murray

PurposeSensorimotor variables have been shown to predict performance in professional baseball players. However, cardinal gaze speed in baseball players has received only limited attention. This study tested the hypothesis that the cardinal gaze speed in Major League Baseball (MLB) players would be faster than in amateur prospects and non-athletes. MethodSeventeen MLB athletes, 160 amateur prospects, and 128 non-athletes were tested using an eye-tracking test (i.e., the RightEye CGP test) designed to measure cardinal gaze speed. ResultsMLB players had significantly faster cardinal gaze speed than either amateur prospects or non-athletes. Moreover, there were significant differences in cardinal gaze speed across different directions. ConclusionsThis was the first study to examine the speed of gaze in the cardinal positions in an athletic context. The results highlight the significant difference in cardinal gaze speed between MLB players, amateur prospects, and non-athletes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Jie Sun ◽  
Zhiruo Wang ◽  
Xiaoyi Dang ◽  
Yang Zhang

In China in recent years, the rental housing market has boomed, but insufficient attention has been paid to microsubject tenants in the market, and there is a lack of research results on tenants’ decision-making processes. In keeping with the characteristics of China’s accommodation-renting population, this study takes as its research object graduating students, who form an important group in the housing rental market, and focuses on the information retrieval process underlying prospective tenants’ rental decisions. First, it investigates tenants’ concerns during the renting process by means of questionnaires. Second, using eye-tracking experiments, the real online renting process is simulated and tenants’ web listings are analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. In the process of information search, the characteristics and rules of browsing the entry search page, the listings page, and the details page are obtained, and the factors that prospective tenants pay attention to in their search for rental information are obtained. The research results show that initial alphabetical sorting of the term search page can improve the subjects’ efficiency in locating the target keywords, the text information display area of the listings page receives more attention than others, and the real concern factors of the tenants on the page listing details are generally consistent with their selected factors but deviate slightly. Finally, the layout and display of web page information affect how subjects’ attention is distributed, and web page information presents a significant difference in attention between upper and lower pages.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 266-273
Author(s):  
ABM Kawsar Ahmed ◽  
Md Rezwanul Habib ◽  
Samia Afrin ◽  
Mohammad Ashiqul Islam ◽  
Md Harun Ur Rashid

The work has been designed to investigate the utilization of milk for consumption of fluid milk and milk products, their distribution pattern, pricing, shelf life and consumer’s preference of Mymensingh municipality in Bangladesh. The study was based on milk and milk products and data were collected from the selected sweetmeat shops by direct interview, of which 20 samples were collected from sweetmeat shops and 7 from goalas. Both tabular and statistical methods were used for collected data analysis. Shopkeepers of different sweetmeat shops received raw milk from farmers (52.6%) and goalas (47.4%) and the highest amount of whole milk was required in per unit production of rasomalai (21%) and ghee (18%) whereas the lowest amount in chomchom (9%). Milk products prices were not remained same throughout the year in this municipality due to fluctuation of raw milk availability and their price. Eid, Puja festivals and other educational activities results that may increase milk products selling especially rasogolla and kalojam. Research findings also showed non-significant difference in case of pricing, distribution pattern, shelf life and selling of milk and milk products following sweetmeats.Asian J. Med. Biol. Res. June 2016, 2(2): 266-273


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 74
Author(s):  
Gufran Ahmad

<p>Research studies on eye movements in area of information processing task, such as scene perception have recently advanced towards understandings of underlying visual perception mechanism and human cognitive dynamics. Besides, business applications of eye tracking are endlessly revealing groundbreaking trends based on practical scenarios. In this study, we conducted a number of eye tracking experiments to establish our hypothesis that the eye gazes based on the associative relevance found within the contexts of scenes during scene perception significantly supported the processes of decision making. The collected eye movement data from participants who viewed artistic scenes discovered that the tracks of eye gazes traversed along the existing associative relevance among the elements of scenes for decision making processes. These experimental evidences confirmed our hypothesis that the eye gazes based on associative relevance assisted in decision making processes during scene perception.</p>


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafi Fredman ◽  
Cindy Wu ◽  
Mihaela Rapolti ◽  
Daniel Luckett ◽  
Jason Fine ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Direct-to-implant (DTI) breast reconstruction provides high-quality aesthetic results in appropriate candidates. Most commonly, implants are placed in the subpectoral space which can lead to pain and breast animation. Surgical and technological advances have allowed for successful prepectoral implant placement which may eliminate these trade-offs. Objectives Here we present early outcomes from 153 reconstructions in 94 patients who underwent prepectoral DTI. We sought to determine whether these patients have less postoperative pain and narcotic use than subpectoral implant or expander placement. Methods A retrospective review was performed for all prepectoral DTI reconstructions at our institution from 2015 to 2016. Data were collected on postoperative pain and narcotic use while in hospital. Results The average follow-up time was 8.5 months (range, 3–17 months) and the overall complication rate was 27% (n = 41) with the most common complications being skin necrosis (9%, n = 13) and infection (7%, n = 11). No statistically significant difference in complications was found in patients who underwent postmastectomy radiation therapy. Patients who underwent prepectoral DTI reconstruction did not have a statistically significant difference in postoperative pain and narcotic use while in-hospital compared with other techniques. Conclusion Prepectoral DTI reconstruction provides good results with similar complication rates to subpectoral techniques. Prepectoral DTI eliminates the problem of breast animation. Although our series did not reach statistical significance in pain scores or requirement for postoperative narcotics, we believe that it is an important preliminary result and with larger numbers we anticipate a more definitive conclusion. Level of Evidence: 4


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maarten M J Wijnenga ◽  
Sebastian R van der Voort ◽  
Pim J French ◽  
Stefan Klein ◽  
Hendrikus J Dubbink ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Several studies reported a correlation between anatomic location and genetic background of low-grade gliomas (LGGs). As such, tumor location may contribute to presurgical clinical decision-making. Our purpose was to visualize and compare the spatial distribution of different WHO 2016 gliomas, frequently aberrated single genes and DNA copy number alterations within subgroups, and groups of postoperative tumor volume. Methods Adult grade II glioma patients (WHO 2016 classified) diagnosed between 2003 and 2016 were included. Tumor volume and location were assessed with semi-automatic software. All volumes of interest were mapped to a standard reference brain. Location heatmaps were created for each WHO 2016 glioma subgroup, frequently aberrated single genes and copy numbers (CNVs), as well as heatmaps according to groups of postoperative tumor volume. Differences between subgroups were determined using voxelwise permutation testing. Results A total of 110 IDH mutated astrocytoma patients, 92 IDH mutated and 1p19q co-deleted oligodendroglioma patients, and 22 IDH wild-type astrocytoma patients were included. We identified small regions in which specific molecular subtypes occurred more frequently. IDH-mutated LGGs were more frequently located in the frontal lobes and IDH wild-type tumors more frequently in the basal ganglia of the right hemisphere. We found no localizations of significant difference for single genes/CNVs in subgroups, except for loss of 9p in oligodendrogliomas with a predilection for the left parietal lobes. More extensive resections in LGG were associated with frontal locations. Conclusions WHO low-grade glioma subgroups show differences in spatial distribution. Our data may contribute to presurgical clinical decision-making in LGG patients.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Merdian ◽  
Philipp Piroth ◽  
Edith Rueger-Muck ◽  
Gerhard Raab

Purpose The purpose of this study is to find out how unconscious perception and conscious reactions differ when it comes to evaluate wine bottles in a shopping shelf. It was evaluated how attention is related to subjective evaluations of interest and value in the perception of wine bottle design choices. Design/methodology/approach The experiment combined implicit eye-tracking observations and a quantitative measurement on the assessment on wine bottle designs. In total, 37 participants rated eight different wine bottle designs based on their interest and assumed value, without any given information about the wines’ original price classification. Findings There is a significant difference between the perception of wine bottle designs. Eye-catchy designs do not automatically transform into a higher perception of value and interest towards the product. The unconscious perception of bottles and the conscious reaction differentiate. Research limitations/implications The greatest limitation, as with many other implicit studies, is the limited number of subjects and the associated limited validity. In addition, eight bottles in four categories were studied, which is adequate, but does not fully reflect the complexity of the wine market supply. Practical implications Manufacturers and wine label designers should challenge existing pre-disposition towards certain wine bottle design choices. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first German consumer study that focusses on unconscious perception (measured by implicit eye movement behaviour) and conscious reactions in the context of explicit value and interest evaluation.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document