Measuring the Effects of Messaging on Consumer Decision-Making Using Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy

Understanding the impact of messaging on choice from a neural perspective is a major research interest in the fields of cognitive science, psychology, business and communications. In this study, we investigated the impact of a pro-environmental audiovisual message on consumer electricity supply preference as well as the differences in consumer hemodynamic activity during electricity supply plan choice periods before and after the messaging intervention. Fifteen (8 female, mean age = 29 years) participants were recruited and presented with a set of binary choices between two different types of electricity supply plans before watching a messaging video and completing the set of choices again. Using functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) we monitored participants’ prefrontal hemodynamic activity during periods of electricity supply plan selection to attain measures related to neural activity. Consistent with our hypothesis, average oxygenated hemoglobin levels measured by fNIRS indicate an increase in hemodynamic activity during decision making after message viewing at the right- inferior frontal gyrus. Additionally, behavioral measures show an increase in pro-environmental electricity plan selection after exposure to the messaging intervention. These combined brain and behavioral measures provide a comprehensive assessment of consumer decision and demonstrate that fNIRS can be used in the neuroergonomic assessment of cognitive state in real-world environments via wearable sensors.