Abstract
BackgroundIn most studies on human reward processing, reward intensity has been manipulated on an objective scale (e.g., varying monetary value). Everyday experience, however, teaches us that objectively equivalent rewards may differ substantially in their subjective incentive values. One factor influencing incentive value in humans is branding. The current study explores the hypothesis that individual brand preferences modulate activity in reward areas similarly to objectively measurable differences in reward intensity.MethodsA wheel-of-fortune game comprising an anticipation phase and a subsequent outcome evaluation phase was implemented. Inside a 3 Tesla MRI scanner, 19 participants played for chocolate bars of three different brands that differed in subjective attractiveness.ResultsParametrical analysis of the obtained fMRI data demonstrated that the level of activity in anatomically distinct neural networks was linearly associated with the subjective preference hierarchy of the brands played for. During the anticipation phases, preference-dependent neural activity has been registered in premotor areas, insular cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, and in the midbrain. During the outcome phases, neural activity in the caudate nucleus, precuneus, lingual gyrus, cerebellum, and in the pallidum was influenced by individual preference.ConclusionOur results suggest a graded effect of differently preferred brands onto the incentive value of objectively equivalent rewards. Regarding the anticipation phase, the results reflect an intensified state of wanting that facilitates action preparation when the participants play for their favorite brand. This mechanism may underlie approach behavior in real-life choice situations.
Highlights
In most studies on human reward processing, reward intensity has been manipulated on an objective scale
(page number not for citation purposes) http://www.behavioralandbrainfunctions.com/content/4/1/55 uli we introduced a product category with relatively homogeneous pricing to avoid the coupling of reward intensity with monetary value, which may be neurally processed in a different way
The main focus of our study was placed on brain regions in which neuronal responses increase or decrease monotonically with increasing brand preference during the anticipation phase preceding winning trials (WA) and the outcome phase following gains in winning trials (WOW)
Summary
In most studies on human reward processing, reward intensity has been manipulated on an objective scale (e.g., varying monetary value). Teaches us that objectively equivalent rewards may differ substantially in their subjective incentive values. One factor influencing incentive value in humans is branding. The current study explores the hypothesis that individual brand preferences modulate activity in reward areas to objectively measurable differences in reward intensity. What counts as reward differs substantially depending on individual preferences. Branding can elicit robust differences in preferences for consumer products despite their highly similar appearance and may provide an ideal example of truly subjective preference in that it is largely independent of objective stimulus characteristics. Our aim is to expand these theories by examining the modulatory impact of subjective brand preferences on neural activity. The external validity of our findings is enhanced by the high relevance of brands in everyday life
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