Investigation of EEG-based indicators of skill acquisition as novice participants practice a lifeboat manoeuvering task in a simulator

Adequate training is essential in safety critical occupations. Task proficiency is typically assessed through relevant performance measures. While such measures provide information about how effectively an individual can perform the task, they give no insight about their comfort level. Ideally, individuals would be capable of executing tasks not just at a certain level of performance, but also with confidence and a high degree of cognitive efficiency. Neural signals may provide information regarding a trainee’s task proficiency that performance measures alone cannot. The purpose of this study was to investigate patterns in neural activity that are indicative of task proficiency. Ten novice participants completed ten trials of a manoeuvering task in a high-fidelity lifeboat simulator while their neural activity was recorded via 64-channel EEG. Power spectral features were used along with linear discriminant analysis to classify the data from pairs of consecutive trials. Repeated measures mixed model linear regression showed that on average, the classification accuracy of consecutive trials decreased significantly over the course of training (from 82% to 73%). Since the classification accuracies reflect how different the neural activation patterns in the brain are between the trials classified, this result indicates that with practice, the associated neural activity becomes more similar from trial to trial. We hypothesize that in the early stages of the practice session, the neural activity is quite distinct from trial to trial as the individual works to develop and refine a strategy for task execution, then as they settle on an effective strategy, their neural activity becomes more stable across trials, explaining the lower classification accuracy observed in consecutive trials later in the session. These results could be used to develop a neural indicator of task proficiency

A systematic review of the prediction of consumer preference using EEG measures and machine-learning in neuromarketing research.

INTRODUCTION: The present paper discusses the findings of a systematic review of EEG measures in neuromarketing, identifying which EEG measures are the most robust predictor of customer preference in neuromarketing. The review investigated which TF effect (e.g., theta-band power), and ERP component (e.g., N400) was most consistently reflective of self-reported preference. Machine-learning prediction also investigated, along with the use of EEG when combined with physiological measures such as eye-tracking. METHODS: Search terms 'neuromarketing' and 'consumer neuroscience' identified papers that used EEG measures. Publications were excluded if they were primarily written in a language other than English or were not published as journal articles (e.g., book chapters). 174 papers were included in the present review. RESULTS: Frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) was the most reliable TF signal of preference and was able to differentiate positive from negative consumer responses. Similarly, the late positive potential (LPP) was the most reliable ERP component, reflecting conscious emotional evaluation of products and advertising. However, there was limited consistency across papers, with each measure showing mixed results when related to preference and purchase behaviour. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: FAA and the LPP were the most consistent markers of emotional responses to marketing stimuli, consumer preference and purchase intention. Predictive accuracy of FAA and the LPP was greatly improved through the use of machine-learning prediction, especially when combined with eye-tracking or facial expression analyses

A Consumer Neuroscience Study of Information Processing of Brand Advertisements and the Store Environment in Compulsive Buying

Background. Compulsive buying—defined as excessive, uncontrolled, and repetitive buying— is a serious problem in today’s society, driven by consumeristic values and reinforced by marketing efforts. However, the research on the external influences (e.g., brand information) and underlying processes that explain consumer behavior in brand-manifesting situations in compulsive buying is relatively scarce. This thesis provides an integrative literature review and two experimental studies that yield cross-disciplinary insights into the compulsive buying phenomenon. The thesis aims to study the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses that characterize consumer-brand interactions at relevant brand touchpoints in compulsive buying. Research methodology. Two experimental studies investigate similarities and differences between two groups of consumers with high and low compulsive buying tendencies (CBTs) at two brand touchpoints that represent a pre-purchase and purchase phase of the consumer journey. Multimodal consumer neuroscience tools (i.e., eye-tracker, EEG, and EDA) are employed to collect neurophysiological and physiological responses during exposure to marketing information. The first study examines consumer information processing of advertisements during a simulated TV commercial-viewing experiment. The second study investigates consumer information processing of store environments during a field experiment conducted in two single-brand fashion-apparel stores (i.e., low-end vs. high-end). Findings. The findings from the first study indicate that, regardless of their CBT level, consumers tend to allocate a relatively equal amount of cognitive resources to attend to, process, and remember exposed advertising information during the entire duration of commercial viewing. The two groups differed in their visual processing of brand elements only when viewing advertisements related to social cause. In the consumer group with a high CBT, a higher cognitive workload was linked to a lower probability of subsequent brand recognition. The findings from the second study revealed that, regardless of the fashion-store type, consumers with a high CBT chose items that were more expensive than consumers with a low CBT. The changes in physiological arousal during the first minute of shopping showed that, although both consumer groups were more emotionally responsive to the high-end than the low-end fashion store, the emotional receptivity in both groups was expressed in different physiological responses. Specifically, consumers with a high CBT demonstrated a higher frequency and a shorter duration of emotional responses, whereas consumers with a low CBT showed a higher amplitude of emotional responses in the high-end fashion store than in the low-end fashion store. The results indicate that there are two potentially different mechanisms that occur in the two consumer groups during encounters with store information. Conclusions. This thesis provides theoretical, methodological, managerial, and societal contributions. This research highlights the fact that compulsive buying is a complex phenomenon and that researchers should address both internal and external influences, examine the unconscious processes and mechanisms, and study consumer responses to marketing information in more naturalistic settings. The thesis also promotes the integration of consumer neuroscience tools with the compulsive buying research practice, aims to increase the awareness of the problem of compulsive buying, and encourages the development of novel, technologybased and scientifically driven consumer-behavior-monitoring policies