Measuring brain activity with electroencephalography

Article

Detecting unconscious impressions and reactions that guide decisions

EEG data allows you to better forecast the motivation of target groups 

Electroencephalography (EEG) measures brain activity and thereby creates unique insights into brain reactions. We use EEG to measure how motivated people are in terms of both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. From this, we can derive the attractiveness of specific content, and in combination with eye tracking, the efficiency of a website or product in terms of usability. Besides motivation and perception, the cognitive load of a user can be effectively evaluated using EEG. This provides insights on how content should be structured to avoid frustration and exhaustion.

EEG can be applied to various use cases such as:

  • Design of marketing materials optimally adapted to the unconscious perception of customers
  • Optimization of control elements to ensure intuitive use
  • Improvement of digital presentations and pitches in order to present content more convincingly and successfully
  • Improvement of customer communications
  • Optimization of sponsorship and advertising placements
  • Optimization of information dashboards and user interfaces
  • Identification of design and navigation weaknesses in physical and digital products
  • E-learning improvements to address users better and to convey content more efficiently
  • Improved pre-launch predictions about which products or campaigns are particularly promising/motivating to buy

 

Compared to traditional market research, the use of EEG offers significant advantages

  • Quantification of motivation to buy/motivation to act, as the brain signal of the perceived attractiveness is measured and quantified directly
  • Capturing brain reactions long before a person can consciously make a decision
  • Insights into intuitive reactions that the participants themselves are not aware of Quantitative assessment of the motivation and cognitive exhaustion of participants when using a test object
  • Derivation of unbiased, objective information based on implicit measurement

Did you know that our brain communicates with the help of electric signals?

The universal language of our brain is electricity. It is made out of various types of neurons, which build a strongly connected network. By sending small electric signals neurons communicate with each other. Varying frequencies of the electric signals are the basis for encoding different processes.

With an EEG we don’t just measure the frequencies but also their changes and in which brain region they are active. This allows us to draw conclusions about motivational states, arousal, and confusion, amongst others.

The Deloitte Neuroscience Institute applies electroencephalography (EEG) as a method to answer business-relevant questions.  We use EEG to measure how motivated people are in terms of both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. At the DNI, we complement results of this method with additional neuroscientific methods such as eye tracking, facial coding, galvanic skin response measurements and implicit association testing. This enables us to visualize mental and emotional reactions of participants.