Validation of EEG as an Advertising Research Method: Relation Between EEG Reaction Toward Advertising and Attitude Toward Advertised Issue (Related to Political and Ideological Beliefs)

In these last decades consumer neuroscience has developed very rapidly, both as an academic field and as a marketing research practice. In this chapter we discuss different tools and measurements used by consumer neuroscience. Moreover we discuss both the potential and the limitations of different tools and methods coming from neuroscience and the difference in their application to scientific consumer research and applied consumer research—marketing research. As we have identified there is a lack of neuroscience research on social campaigns, toward the end we present examples of using EEG (Frontal Asymmetry Index) to understand our reaction toward advertised objects, in relation to an individuals’ political and ideological beliefs. In study 1 (n = 33), conducted prior to the presidential election in Poland, we tested EEG reaction toward the two candidates running for president representing the right wing and the left. The Frontal Asymmetry Index was analyzed in relation to respondents’ political attitudes: conservatism vs. liberalism. In the second study (n = 33) we tested brain reaction (EEG) to two social advertisements referring to homosexuality. This was also analyzed in relation to attitudes toward homosexuality. Both studies showed a correlation between the Frontal Asymmetry Index and attitudes: analyzed brain waves when presented with stimuli (pictures and ads) reflected attitudes shown toward the studied object. For both studies we used the EEG tool Emotiv.