An EEG Study on Emotional Intelligence and Advertising Message Effectiveness.

Joseph Ciorciari,John Gountas,Jeffrey Pfeifer

doi:10.3390/bs9080088

Abstract

Some electroencephalography (EEG) studies have investigated emotional intelligence (EI), but none have examined the relationships between EI and commercial advertising messages and related consumer behaviors. This study combines brain (EEG) techniques with an EI psychometric to explore the brain responses associated with a range of advertisements. A group of 45 participants (23 females, 22 males) had their EEG recorded while watching a series of advertisements selected from various marketing categories such as community interests, celebrities, food/drink, and social issues. Participants were also categorized as high or low in emotional intelligence (n = 34). The EEG data analysis was centered on rating decision-making in order to measure brain responses associated with advertising information processing for both groups. The findings suggest that participants with high and low emotional intelligence (EI) were attentive to different types of advertising messages. The two EI groups demonstrated preferences for “people” or “object,” related advertising information. This suggests that differences in consumer perception and emotions may suggest why certain advertising material or marketing strategies are effective or not.

Highlights

Many studies have investigated the neural correlates associated with personality and emotions to better understand consumer behavior and decision-making processes.Some advertising studies have suggested that personality traits are reflected in complex decision-making [2,3] and that the poor decision-making associated with personality disorders are possibly explained by deficits in specific personality related neural systems [4] and different levels of intelligence [5,6]
Even though previous studies have examined the neural basis of emotional traits [8]), personality traits [9] and emotional intelligence [10,11], few have investigated the relationships between emotional intelligence and consumers’ decision making in informative and complex emotion stimuli advertising, such as emotions, celebrity, or sex role portrayal [12,13]
Using EEG techniques to quantify connectivity and source cognitive processing, the data analysis suggests that distinctly different processing styles are used by high- and low-emotional intelligence (EI) participants during decision-making tasks

Summary

Introduction

Many studies have investigated the neural correlates associated with personality and emotions to better understand consumer behavior and decision-making processes (see review by Kennis et al [1,2]). Some advertising studies have suggested that personality traits are reflected in complex decision-making [2,3] and that the poor decision-making associated with personality disorders are possibly explained by deficits in specific personality related neural systems [4] and different levels of intelligence [5,6]. Even though previous studies have examined the neural basis of emotional traits [8]), personality traits [9] and emotional intelligence [10,11], few have investigated the relationships between emotional intelligence and consumers’ decision making in informative and complex emotion stimuli advertising, such as emotions, celebrity, or sex role portrayal [12,13]. Emotional responses have been used to monitor consumer behavior; it is not known how much emotional cognition or intelligence impacts on consumer choice [14].

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Discussion

Conclusion