hu wissen 1 (pdf) - Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

something is reflected in neural processes. And they have succeeded
in identifying from a test person’s brain activity – with a high
degree of probability – when he/she is willing to buy a particular
product. They have also proved that the brain prepares the information
for a decision even when the person is not explicitly thinking
about purchasing a product.
Two groups were involved in the experiment, both made up
of men with an interest in cars. The participants in the first
group were specifically shown images of ten existing cars while in
the MRI scanner. At this time the subjects did not yet know that
they would be seeing the pictures of cars again aer the test round
in the scanner. Aerwards, they were asked whether they would
buy this car; they could answer »yes«, »perhaps« or »no«. »In about
80 percent of the cases we were able to predict whether a person
was willing to buy or not – based on their brain activity,« Haynes
reports. The subjects in the second test group were asked to solve
certain problems while being shown the car pictures at the same
time. »Our hit rate was about 80 per cent in this group, too,« he
goes on. What does this mean? One conclusion that the scientists
are drawing is that purchase decisions are made intuitively and
are not necessarily based on rational considerations – as we assume.
In other words, this finding could encourage people not to
spend a long time weighing up purchases, but to follow and trust
their intuition.
The results of the study will not only interest neuroscientists
and psychologists, but also warm the hearts of advertising experts;
aer all, they are hoping that brain reading will give them
some tips on how to design their marketing strategies.
However, brain reading is not only of interest in neuromarketing;
applications also seem possible in other fields such as medicine
or brain-based lie detection.
Yet however spectacular or promising the results may be, the
implicit question always remains whether scientists should be
conducting research at all into techniques for reading minds?
Shouldn’t thoughts remain free? This question also concerns
Haynes, and he would like to discuss it in public to find out which
techniques society wants and which it doesn’t.
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