Journal of Psychological Science ›› 2021, Vol. 44 ›› Issue (3): 659-666.

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Consumer purchase decisions and asymmetry in prefrontal brain activity -- evidence from the EEG

  

  • Received:2020-03-22 Revised:2020-10-05 Online:2021-05-20 Published:2021-05-20
  • Contact: Zhi-Wei Xu

消费者购买决定与前额叶脑活动的不对称性——来自EEG的证据

许志炜1,Yansong Hu2,孟莎1,程诗琦1,张硕毅1,程静杨1   

  1. 1. 湖北大学
    2. 英国华威商学院
  • 通讯作者: 许志炜

Abstract: Abstract: At present, the marketing science community still lacks an accurate understanding of the neural operation mechanism of consumers' purchase decision stage. This study explored whether the asymmetry of prefrontal cortex is related to consumers' purchase decision. Using the method of field experiment, the subjects were 21 volunteers (11 male and 10 female), with an average age of 20, who came from different departments of a university. 21 subjects made real purchase decisions on 5 items in their shopping cart during the real online shopping. During this process, their EEG electroencephalogram was fully recorded. There were 104 purchase decisions were observed. Neural responses were recorded using a wireless 14 channel headset (Emotiv EPOC+.) with a sampling rate of 256 Hz (bandwidth = 0.2–43Hz, digital notch filters at 50 and 60Hz, and with built-in digital 5th order Sinc filter) and electrodes positioned at AF3, F7, F3, FC5, T7, P7, O1, O2, P8, T8, FC6,F4, F8, AF4. The headset was connected to a PC running Windows 10 and transmitted data wirelessly to a USB receiver module. Stimulus presentation and data collection for behavioral responses and neuroimaging data was performed using the Emotiv-Pro software. Offline data processing was carried out using the EEGLAB toolbox in MATLAB. The results showed that during the viewing of the product page, the subjects' prefrontal lobe asymmetry in the gamma band was significantly correlated with the subsequent actual purchase behavior. Prefrontal asymmetry index (PAI), according to the results of the gamma band prefrontal asymmetry index Δ PAIγ, is not only significant for buying decision and the main effect of unusually strong (B = 10.766, SE = 4.379, Wald's chi - square (df = 1) = 6.043, p < 0.05), while the other two frequency alpha and beta results are not significant. It is interesting to note that in this study, we found the gamma frequency asymmetry can significantly predict consumer buying decisions. Δ PAIγ is positive and significant main effect, suggests a relatively large left frontal lobe activation, indicates the participants more likely to make the purchase decision. The results also found that the "price of goods" had a strong adjustment effect on both beta and gamma asymmetry index, and the adjustment effect was just the opposite. (B =. 058, SE =. 025, Wald's chi - square = 5.326, p < 0.05; B = -. 057, SE =. 0164, Wald's chi - square = 12.231,P < 0.01). This study proposed an independent neuropsychological mechanism for consumers in the purchase decision process and found that a specific measurement -- the gamma wave asymmetry index PAIγ in the prefrontal lobe -- was most strongly correlated with positive purchase intention and actual purchase behavior. Compared with European and American previous studies, this study is based on EEG data in the real online shopping environment of consumers, so the practical significance of this study is greater than similar studies. The prediction standards and methods of this study can be effectively applied to the production of advertising and shopping pages and product display in the future. It is of great value to marketing practice to help enterprises create the best product pages and brand advertisements that can attract consumers to make actual purchase decisions.

Key words: EEG, Neuromarketing, Davidson model, Left prefrontal dominance, Consumer purchasing decision

摘要: 摘要:目前营销科学界对消费者购买决策阶段的神经运作机制仍然缺乏准确的理解,本研究探索了大脑前额叶不对称性是否与消费者购买决策有关。采用田野实验方法,21名受试者在真实的在线购物中,分别对自己购物车里5件物品做出真实的购买决策,他们的EEG脑电图被完整记录了下来,共观察到104次购买决策过程。结果表明,在产品页面观看过程中,受试者的gamma频带前额叶不对称,与随后真实购买行为显著相关。alpha、beta频带额叶不对称与购买决策无关。结果还发现与商品的售价对beta和gamma不对称指数的调节效应,且调节效果正好相反。本研究发现了消费者在购买决策过程中一种独特的EEG成分——前额叶gamma波不对称指数(PAIγ)与肯定的购买意愿和实际购买行为相关性最强。

关键词: EEG, 神经营销学, Davidson模型, 左前额叶优势, 消费者购买决策