arf world of-emotions

W o r l d o f E m o t i o n s - A t t e n t i o n ,

I n v o l v e m e n t a n d M o t i v a t i o n

Authors:Jakob de Lemos, Christian Valla

iMotions - Emotion Technology A/[email protected]

March 2008

AbstractTraditional marketing measurement methods have

shown inadequate. A new method is needed to measure advertising impact on buying behavior. Emotion Tool® measures subconscious emotions that are critical for attention and buying behavior. The method uses eye tracking data in a new way that makes it possible to measure the immediate unconscious and uncontrollable emotional responses before they are cognitively perceived, interpreted, and biased by our mind.

1. Introduction - Logos and brands

When reading a magazine, some ads immediately grab our attention to be explored, and others are being ignored. Some ads are able to hold our attention until we "get it," and this gives us an experience, with a certain emotional content. Certain visual elements grab attention while others hold and direct attention. Certain ads we remember well, others are quickly forgotten. In both cases the ad has made a more or less powerful impact on the viewer.

People living in a city are exposed to e.g. Coca-Cola logos several times a day. Even if we have no recall or conscious memory of having seen these logos, if asked, they have been processed by our visual processing system - more specifically by the low-level attention. This is the part of attention that is automatic, involuntary and subconscious.

Although we have no recall of it if asked, the information has been processed and has made an impact - in this case increased the brand awareness of Coca-Cola. If being tested for recall, the results would be negative, but if tested for recognition - the result would be positive (David Penn, 2007). The automated subconscious part of

the visual system - the low-level attention has processed the logo.

2. Why measure attention?

Even if we are not aware of it - visual attention is always active in processing the world around us. Many of these processes are automated and subconscious. There are two levels of attention - low-level attention and selective attention. Low-level attention is automated and subconscious, scans the whole visual field and spots the eye catchers - the visual elements that grab attention. Selective attention moves like a spotlight from one area of the visual field to another, analyzing the elements in more detail. Selective attention moves according to some attentional values being calculated from partly the stimulus itself and partly by what is in our mind, including emotions. Emotions participate in guiding and qualifying visual attention.

We pay little attention to the many logos and brands we are exposed to every day and consider them of little importance to us. We believe that these exposures do not influence us considerably. Researchers at Duke University have found that brief, subliminal exposures (under the threshold of consciousness) to a well known logo, have a much deeper impact than previously believed. Apple has consistently through 25 years associated the Apple logo with traits like creativity, originality and intelligent solutions. The research at Duke University showed that subliminal exposures to the Apple logo actually influenced the respondents to become more creative and original in a following problem solving task - and thus mirroring directly the brand traits (Tanya Chartrand & Gavan Fitzsimons, 2008). This study shows that subconscious processing of a logo (and obviously also brands and ads) is not only processed and stored, but also have a direct impact on behavior. In other words; what we are exposed to has a subconscious impact that influence behavior directly. Even a short glimpse of a logo or an ad can directly influence behavior, such as buying decision.

When we experience an ad, we react to it with our conscious, cognitive level and our subconscious, emotional level. The stimulus itself, as well as what is in our mind influence the experience. These elements determine how the ad will affect our behavior – the buying decision

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A study showed that people in a gambling card game showed physiological arousal when picking up from the card decks that where “bad” and rigged to create loss. This information changed their behavior to pick more cards from the rigged “good” card decks. If asked if they could see no system in the game, but their subconscious had a knowledge about which card decks where “bad”. The subconscious information (in this case a negative emotion) resulted in changed behavior (decision-making) that was positive for their outcome. Consciously the respondents were not aware of this and could not report it. The respondents, by their subconscious, emotional system, became aware of the dangers and changed decision-making behavior accordingly, long before they became consciously aware of this (Bechara et al.,1994).

Fig 1. Shows the cognitive and emotional involvement in the processing of visual information preceding a buying decision.

3. Why measure emotions?

Marketing and advertisement research have mostly used self-report or recall as measurement methods. Recall is the conscious memory of an ad reported by the respondent. The problem with these methods is that they only tap into the conscious part of cognition. These methods do not measure subconscious material, such as emotions. These measurement methods have their origin in older cognitive psychology. It was believed that an image would trigger thoughts in the respondent that would evoke some emotions that again trigger action.

Brain research during the last decade has shown that emotions precede conscious thinking and decision-making. Neuroscience has shown that when a respondent sees an image, emotions are triggered. Emotions influence and guide visual attention and behavior (Damasio, 1994). Thoughts then rationalize and systematize the experience and the behavior.

In the above mentioned study, it was shown that the emotional system could collect and use vital information

Cognitive

Level

Emotional Level

Consciously

felt experience

'feelings'

Unconsciously

Attitudes

Decisions

Habits

Language,

Thoughts etc.

Behavioral aspect,

expressions, body

postures and gestures

Involuntary

bodily reactions

Buying decision

long before conscious thought. The subconscious, emotional system could qualify decision-making.

Advertisements and images influence us even when we are not aware of them, and have no recall of them. Brand awareness recognition is more relevant than recall. Recognition is to a high degree based on subconscious material such as emotions (Penn, 2007).

Fig 2. Shows the cognitive and emotional factors involved in visual processing preceding a buying decision.

It is found that emotions guide and qualify decision-making (Damasio, 1994). These are subconscious processes that cannot be accessed by respondents. Self report or recall measures are therefore not helpful measurement methods. We cannot ask people about emotions and the subconscious material simply because they have no conscious access to it. All that we can ask about is the feeling and the associations the ad produces. Feelings are the part of emotions that have become conscious. The problem with this level is that it is indirect and influenced by thought (cognition). At this level associations, experience, group dynamics, psychological content, experienced demands and defense mechanisms, such as rationalizing and intellectualization, influence and disturb the reporting, thus making it very difficult to analyze the results.

Within the relative new field of neuromarketing, the methods currently given most attention for measuring emotions are: fMRI, EEG and GSR. Neuromarketing is growing rapidly because of the possible consequences of the above mentioned research has on marketing and advertisement research.

Cognitive

Visual Processing

Conscious

Selective Attention,

Language,

Thoughts, Recall,

Associations.

Emotional Visual

Processing

Subconscious

Bodily Reactions,

Experienced

Feelings,

Involvement,

Motivation, Desire.

BUYING DECISION








Much of the research within marketing and advertisement research, executed by focus groups and surveys, might be of little value as it is not conscious, cognitive processing underlying brand awareness, preferences and buying-decisions, but in fact emotions and subconscious processes. These levels are only accessible by measuring the changes in the brain and body that are happening when emotions occur.

This "new" paradigm from modern brain research is in line with analytical psychology that argues that most of our thinking, emotions and behavior are based on the subconscious processes, and that our conscious thought can only account for about 10%.

New measurement methods are needed to access the subconscious level of information.

4. Accessing emotions and other subconscious information

fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imagery) is detailed brain scanning, that takes high quality images of the brain, as a chemical substance induced into the bloodstream of the brain can be identified and show brain activity. The problem with this method is that it is expensive and demands a highly trained staff. It is also not suitable to measure phenomena like emotions and consciousness as these are non-local, parallel processes in multiple brain parts (Penn, 2007). Another serious problem with the method is that the scanning takes a long time. The processes we are trying to measure are happening in milliseconds, while the brain scanning takes several seconds.

EEG (Electroencephalography) measures the frequency of the brain waves with electrodes outside on the scalp. The problem with using this method is that it requires advanced equipment and trained staff. The equipment must be mounted on the head of respondents and connected to a computer. It is impossible, to set up the experimental situation to resemble a relaxed and natural environment.

GSR (galvanic skin response) measures the conductivity on the surface of the fingers. Also referred to as the electro-dermal response. The GSR measurement is closely related to activation of the sympathetic branch of the autonomous system. It measures physiological arousal part of emotions by registering fluctuations in the release of ions from the sweat glands of the skin

(Hugdahl, 2001). This measurement is used in lie-detectors (polygraph), and is shown to be one of the best physiological measurement methods for measuring emotional responses. GSR is widely used in emotion research. GSR has shown to be efficient for measuring strong emotions like fear. The problem with GSR is that it is not sensitive enough to measure weaker or more subtle emotions. Those are what we mostly encounter when exposed to advertisements. Another problem with GSR is that the measurement is very sensitive to other processes in the body. Thus the measurement situation needs to be strictly controlled. That is fine for experiments in a laboratory, but for testing in more natural environment it becomes difficult to separate other disturbing factors and to control the data collecting. Furthermore the interpretation of the results requires trained staff.

5. How do we gain access to emotions in a more convenient way?

As mentioned above, much of earlier emotion research and methods have failed due to the difficulty of addressing the subconscious nature of emotions in a convenient and precise way. This results in measuring only the cognitive visual processing and only getting a low resolution image of the Emotional Visual Processing. New signal processing technology mixed with neuroscience and eye tracking allow us to look beyond these barriers. The non-intrusive technology that is sensitive enough to read the processes on the subconscious level and at the same time give us more insight on the conscious level, is now available.

6. Accessing emotions and attention through analysis of eye properties

The emotion and attention measurement system Emotion Tool® can measure emotional response and visual attention from humans looking at images, using a method that is nonintrusive, reliable and valid. Encapsulated in Emotion Tool®, advanced statistics, image processing and eye tracking, enable marketers to quantify emotions and visual attention, in an easy-to-use and time efficient way.

Emotion Tool® quantifies emotions and attention by analyzing the characteristics eye gaze, eye blink and pupil dilation. Our eyes are parts of our brain hanging outside our heads. The eyes are therefore the only part of our outer body, which can give some direct information of brain processes. One well-known parameter is pupil








dilation as a result of changing light conditions, for the brain to most effectively process the outer world. The reactions of the eyes are in the same way affected by emotional and cognitive visual processing in different ways. Pupil size is known to be related to emotional reactions. For example, pupil dilation has been coupled with activation of the sympathetic nervous system (Granholm & Steinhauer, 2004; Steinhauer et al., 1983). However, the relationship is complex because pupil size is also related to cognitive processing load (Beatty & Lucero-Wagoner, 2000; Staners et al., 1979) and the amount of light or hue in visual stimulus (Granholm & Steinhauer; 2004). Eye blink has also been related to emotional reactions, for example with defensive reactions like emotion-modulated eye blink startle (Bradley, et al., 1999, Dichter et al., 2002, Ruiz-Padial & Sollers, 2003). Finally, gaze patterns have been linked to emotional reactions (Calvo & Lang, 2004).

Emotion Tool® measures the above-mentioned subtle changes in the eyes and has shown to be more precise in measuring emotions than GSR. Compared to GSR, Emotion Tool® measures relatively weak emotional responses and more subtle emotions. If the emotion is over a certain threshold (the threshold is much lower compared to GSR), Emotion Tool® indicates the level of the emotional response on a scale reflecting emotional involvement. The figures below shows a typical measurement pattern from GSR and Emotion Tool® in respondents viewing images with different emotional content ranging from low emotional involvement to high emotional involvement.

GSR

0

2.5

5.0

7.5

10.0

Em

otio

nal I

nvol

vem

ent

Images

Fig 3. Shows typical measurement pattern for GSR on images ranging from low to high emotional response.

Emotion Tool™

0

2.25

4.50

6.75

9.00

Em

otio

nal I

nvol

vem

ent

Images

Fig 4. Shows typical measurement pattern for Emotion Tool® on images ranging from low to high emotional response.

In addition to the higher resolution when measuring emotions, Emotion Tool® also has the advantage that it is non intrusive (no equipment needs to be attached to the respondent) and discrete (the measurement tool is build into a computer screen). This makes the measurement setting more natural, and a more realistic testing scenario can be created. Another advantage is that the reporting and analysis is automated.

Besides giving insight into the emotional aspect of an ad, Emotion Tool® also gives insight into the visual processing of the ad mapping out of the visual selective attention of the ad. Selective attention function, like a spotlight, moves from one to another. The eye movement is based on values given to the visual areas in the brain, invoked by the combination of the stimulus characteristics (color, contrast, shape) and what is in the respondents mind (thoughts, emotions, feelings).

7. Bang & Olufsen case

When the Danish high-end electronics manufacturer Bang & Olufsen (B&O) had to design their new awareness campaign in the US, they used Emotion Tool®. The tool, uncovered the visual attention processing and the emotional attention processing on different approaches of their new campaign, to direct the campaign to affect the conscious and subconscious level.

B&O combined the diagnostics from the eye measurement method with a traditional survey, where they measured likeness. The results pointed out the ads with the weakest impact both on the attention and emotional side and gave the design a clear indication on








what to aim at in their campaign. Besides that the design team got some quantified facts on the attention and emotional impact where they usually only had their gut-feel and other less objective facts.

Below are some results showing the raw outcome of the test. From the results, the market researcher who conducts the study – could easily derive the facts that the B&O design team were interested in. E.g.; In what designs do we have the most emotional impact? Does the segment react emotionally consistent across age? Does the product, functional description and brand gain any selective attention.

5. Emotion Tool® output with quantified attention and emotion measures

Fig 6. Emotion Tool® output with quantified attention and emotion measures

By combining the ads with the best possible cognitive visual processing (visual attention) and the best emotional visual processing (emotional involvement) the design team had a clear guide to design the print advertisements for their campaign.

8. Conclusion

Earlier views within cognitive psychology and marketing research argued that an image or an ad would create thoughts that influenced our emotions and behavior. This view has since been turned around by modern brain science that has found that emotions and subconscious processes precede, guide and qualify behavior and decision-making. Even just a short glimpse of a Coca-Cola logo or an Apple logo triggers emotions in us that directly influence behavior, even if we are not consciously aware of having seen the logo at all.

Traditional marketing research still uses self report methods, such as surveys and focus groups as measurement. This is equivalent to loosing your keys inside a dark house, but going outside to look for them, because the street lamp is on. This is because, respondents cannot access their subconscious and their emotions that guides attention and buying-decisions.

Marketing and ad research would be better of using a methodology that can tap into the subconscious and








emotional level of processing as this level precedes and qualifies buying-decisions. Emotion Tool® offers a nonintrusive way to measure visual attention and emotional responses to ads.

In the example above with the B&O case, a traditional approach to this would be to ask people what they thought of the commercial and invite people to a focus group. The results would only be reflecting the after effect of the processing, and only reflect a small fraction of what really goes on when the ads are processed. By using Emotion Tool® the B&O executives could get clear measurements of visual attention and emotional responses to the different ads. This information could be successfully used in the analysis and in the further development of the ad.

Emotion Tool® gives an advantage to other measurements methods as it taps directly into the subconscious level and emotions, presenting valuable information for advertisement analysis and advertisement design. As emotions are critical for attention and behavior, in this case buying decision, this information is vital.

9. References

Beatty, J. & Lucero-Wagoner, B. (2000): The pupillary system, in Caccioppo, J., Tassinary, L.G. & Berntson, G. (Eds.): The Handbook of Psychophysiology, Cambridge University Press, Hillsdale, New York.

Bechara A, Damasio AR, Damasio H, Anderson SW (1994). "Insensitivity to future consequences following damage to human prefrontal cortex", Cognition 50: 7-15.

Bradley, M. M., Cuthbert, B. N. & Lang, P. J. (1999): Affect and the startle reflex, in Dawson, M.E., Schell, A. & Boehmelt, A. (Eds.): Startle modification: Implications for neuroscience, cognitive science and clinical science, Stanford University Press, Stanford, 242–276.

Calvo, M. G., & Lang, P. J. (2004). Gaze patterns when looking at emotional pictures: Motivationally biased attention. Motivation and Emotion, 28, 221–243.

Dichter, G.S., Tomarken, A.J. & Baucom, B.R. (2002): Startle modulation before, during and after exposure to emotional stimuli, International Journal of Psychophysiology, 43, 191-196

Damasio, A.R. (1994): Descartes Error - Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, New York

Granholm, E. & Steinhauer, S.R. (2004): Pupillometric Measures of Cognitive and Emotional Processes, International Journal of Psychophysiology, 52, 1–6

Hugdahl, K. (2001): Psychophysiology: The Mind-body Perspective, Harvard University Press

Penn, D. (2007). Brain Science: In Search of the Emotional Unconscious. In Marketing Research Handbook. ESOMAR. 2007.

Ruiz-Padial, L., Sollers, J.J., Vila, J. & Thayer, J.F. (2003): The rhythm of the heart in the blink of an eye: Emotion-modulated startle magnitude covaries with heart rate variability, Psychophysiology, 40, 306–313

Staners, R.F., Coulter, M., Sweet, A.W. & Murphy, P. (1979): The papillary response as an indicator of arousal and cognition, Motivation and Emotion, 3 (4), 319-340

Steinhauer, S. R., Boller, F., Zubin, J. & Pearlman, S. (1983): Pupillary dilation to emotional visual stimuli revisited, Psychophysiology, 20

Tanya Chartrand, Gavan Fitzsimons. (2008): Automatic Effects of Brand Exposure on Motivated Behavior: How Apple Makes You “Think Different”. In Press






