Imagine if you could tell what a person had been looking at by examining just their brain scan. No longer is this science fiction. This is science fact. Scientificamerican.com reports on two breakthrough studies that demonstrate that we can now do this (albeit at this stage with rudimentary images). What is pretty scary is that even if the person is unaware of being exposed to an image (because it is below their own awareness threshold), nevertheless it can still be detected in their brain scan. If confirmed, this will stoke a huge fire under society’s fear of neuromarketing and ‘subliminal’ influence. Additional note (13 June 2005)...more details are available at Nature Reviews Neuroscience.
Also, for more on neuromarketing generally, see technorati
UK Market Research Conference Warned About Neuromarketing Limitations
As reported by Research magazine, eminent brain scientist Baroness Susan Greenfield warned market researchers at the Research 2005 conference about the limitations of using brain scanning technology.
Another speaker David Penn (Conquest M.R.) said much of what has been learned with brain science "validates" what researchers already do when studying the consumer. Pointing to the ‘Pepsi challenge’ Baylor study, Penn said: "Brain science makes retrospective sense of our old intuitive practices."
No-Ban on Neuromarketing
The group, Center for Cognitive Liberty and Ethics (CCLE) has released its current position on Neuromarketing. It has done its homework, taking a realistic position on the power of the technique that states: "we presently believe that the hype around neuromarketing is much larger than it's actual power to steer consumer behavior."
CCLE does not advocate a ban on Neuromarketing but is considering options for more transparent use such as requiring disclosure on product packaging if neuromarketing has been used. It is also asks the question whether different rules should exist for neuromarketing applied to political use or for products marketed directly to children?
'Brain-computer-interface' Breakthroughs
Electrode implants have shown promise in forming a brain–computer interface to enable people with disability to move a mouse cursor, to communicate and even control a prosthesis. The computer translates electrical brain signals into movements — of a cursor, a robotic arm or some other device. Nature Reviews Neuroscience reports another step forward with the demonstration by Wolpaw and McFarland that non-invasive electroencephalogram (EEG) signals can be used for complex control of a cursor on a screen. Eye tracking systems are another non-invasive approach. These can enable people with disability to lead a cursor with their eye gaze allowing them to read and write text, switch on and off lights or dial telephone numbers. This type of technology could make a big difference in the lives of people with disabilities such as Multiple Sclerosis or Cerebral Palsy.
fMRI Beyond the Clinic: Will It Ever Be Ready for Prime Time?
Published in PLos Biology 15 June 2004, this well written and easy to read article by freelance science writer Richard Robinson does a great job of explaining fMRI and helping readers understand its limitations and potential applications (e.g. as a hi-tech substitute for the polygraph?).
Political Neuromarketing
A piece by Kate Santich in the Orlando Sentinel October 27, 2004 is informative about the work on political neuromarketing by researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles. They are using fMRI brain-imaging equipment to measure the responses of Republicans and Democrats as they view presidential campaign ads and speeches.
Pictures of the person's OWN candidate (George Bush for Republicans and John Kerry for Democrats) triggered activity in the person’s ventromedial prefrontal cortex, an area with a strong feeling of connection that is said to be the part of the brain that kicks in when you smile back at someone or look at a beautiful sunset.
The opposing candidate activated another part of the brain, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (which is said to be responsible for asserting control over emotional reactions). The researchers comment that it was as if people were arguing against the candidate in their own heads, perhaps to bolster themselves against being swayed.
Separately, Paul Elias (Associated Press) points out that this project's stimulus came from the brother of one of the researchers who was a former consultant to President Bill Clinton. He wanted to know from his neuroscientist brother if the fMRI technology could improve on how campaigns woo voters.
"Neurogaming": Video-games + Neurofeedback
For keeping up with the latest in neuroscience, Zack Lynch’s “Brainwaves” site at Corante Tech News is a ‘must visit’. Recently the site pointed to the rise of ‘neurogaming’, i.e. building neurofeedback into video games in order to improve a person’s cognitive processing capabilities. Applications are directed at learning enhancement - not just for kids but adults too. Remedial applications are likely to be another big market - to help in problems such as dyslexia and attention deficit disorder.
Brain Waves: Neuroimaging Breakthrough - Magnetic Resonance Force Microscopy
Corante Tech News (Zack Lynch) reports that IBM Researchers have made a radical breakthrough in imaging sensitivity. The method is called magnetic resonance force microscopy (MRFM) and improves MRI sensitivity by some 10 million times compared to the medical MRI devices used to visualize organs in the human body. It is so sensitive that it can detect the faint magnetic signal from a single electron buried inside a solid sample. While applications on live human tissues, like the brain, are still speculative, this imaging breakthrough is an important step in non-invasive single neuron brain imaging.
Synopsis of Reported Neuromarketing Studies
Links to, and summaries of, all reported studies that I have found (updated 24 July 04) Download synopsis_of_neuromarketing_studies
Voice Stress Analysis Used in Terrorism & Insurance Application
The New York Times > Technology > Circuits > Could Your Voice Betray You?
Technological development is inevitable and some applications are clearly desirable but the need for guidelines/'ethical charters' and controls to direct how and where a technology is applied becomes more and more pressing as it becomes more refined and becomes more widely adopted. Voice stress analysis is a technology that has been around for a decade or more. This NYT article reveals that one supplier is working on an anti-terrorist system that lets airport screeners apply a 30-second, five-question test to determine whether a passenger should be put on a fast track or interviewed further. And in Britain, a growing number of insurance companies are using voice stress analysis to screen telephone claims in hopes of rooting out fraud - a goal they say has been borne out, both in fraud detection and in deterrence. One insurer, Admiral, says 25 percent of its car-theft claims have been withdrawn since it began using the system a year ago. But the technology's reliability is still a matter of debate...... Now that it is being used in the insurance industry, for example, the concerns include how a suspect claim might affect a customer's subsequent applications for insurance.
