NEUROMARKETING = use of neuroscience tools and insights to better measure, understand
and influence consumer engagement and choice
-> Goal of neuroscience/neuromarketing is adapt methods and theories from neuroscience to develop a
neuropsychologically sound theory to understand consumer behaviour -> gives us pieces of information about
the consumer, how he/she acts and reacts, how emotion or attention or decision making work >
Conscious process driven by rationality, knowledge, reflection (tip of the iceberg)
Unconscious process driven by emotions (way bigger part)
Consumer psychology = about the understanding of how and why people, both as individuals and groups,
engage in consumption activities, with products and brand, and how and why they are affected by them.
Multidisciplinary because there are many specializations with sub-disciplines, with different domains of
knowledge (experimental, cognitive, personality, social, clinical) Interdisciplinary: combination of different
sciences
Somatic = relating to the body Sensory = relating to senses
Functions/ areas of the brain:
Headquarter
- Sensory-perceptive –receives the stimuli from all the sensorial organs
- Neuro-motor –emits impulses that control the voluntary and involuntary movements
- Integrative –generates mental activities like knowledge, memory, emotions and language
Cortical Region
Brain regions
Cortical: outer layer of the brain; 2 symmetrical hemispheres and each divided in 4 major lobes. Direct brain’s
higher cognitive and emotional functions
Subcortical: process more primitive functions thalamus (acts as a filter for intense information), hypothalamus
(controls body temperature), hunger, sleep, cerebellum, brain stem
Brain lobes:
Occipital lobe - responsible for processing and interpreting visual information
+ recognition of written text
Parietal lobe - plays an important role in touch and spatial navigation
Temporal lobe - major processing centre convergence zone for auditory
perception, memory and language comprehension
Frontal lobe - convergence area for emotions and thoughts (planning,
organizing, problem solving, creativity, reasoning) contains prefrontal cortex
PREFRONTAL CORTEX: important in decision making and social
behavior
HIPPOCAMPUS: associated with impaired learning and long term
memory.
AMYGDALA: two almond-shaped brain areas associated with
processing emotion. More-recent evidence suggests the
amygdalae are smaller in people who are lonely.
System 1 Thinking: Our brains’ fast, automatic, unconscious, and
emotional response to situations and stimuli. System 2 Thinking:
The slow, effortful, and logical mode in which our brains operate when solving more complicated problems.
, PERSONALITY = unique and individual, it has characteristics of thought, behavior and emotions
that remain more or less constant over time -> expression towards outside and the individual in its uniqueness
Character = aspects deriving from environmental influences, are characteristic of an individual and are acquired
over time in one’s socio-cultural context • TEMPERAMENT: hereditary elements of personality (mood, levels of
activity and sensitivity, prevalence of irritability ...)
The Self SELF –> result of certain processes related to the idea we make of ourselves (our identity)
The individual self: ME Idea that one has of oneself, it refers to categories/roles of belonging - Real Self: what I
think I am, the current condition; • Ideal Self: what I aspire to, the ideal to achieve;
Personality and traits theories
Approach of the traits - Traits are neuropsychological properties, have behavioral coherence over time and in
different contexts, giving rise to similar dynamics (scripts) in the individual way of interpreting and experiencing
events. Some traits have more influence than others.
Trait classification - 16 dimensions of personality traits are identified (personality factors)
Big five; Extraversion (vs introversion, confidence), Agreeableness (sensitivity), Conscientiousness (self-
discipline), Neuroticism (vulnerability, insecurity, anxiety), Openness (creativity)
Marketing and psychology meet at brand personality scale: consumers approach brands with similar
personality traits to their own.
3 traits (eigenschappen)
Cardinal traits: all the activities of a person can be traced (enjoy food, practice sport). Unifying influence on
person’s behaviour (Mother Teresa; goodness and charity)
Central traits: define personality, less distinctive, relate to important characteristics of an individual
(intelligent, shy, honest, friendly)
Secondary traits: incoherent or superficial, only a minor influence on individuals’ behaviour. Difficult to
observe, concern tastes, preference, etc
and influence consumer engagement and choice
-> Goal of neuroscience/neuromarketing is adapt methods and theories from neuroscience to develop a
neuropsychologically sound theory to understand consumer behaviour -> gives us pieces of information about
the consumer, how he/she acts and reacts, how emotion or attention or decision making work >
Conscious process driven by rationality, knowledge, reflection (tip of the iceberg)
Unconscious process driven by emotions (way bigger part)
Consumer psychology = about the understanding of how and why people, both as individuals and groups,
engage in consumption activities, with products and brand, and how and why they are affected by them.
Multidisciplinary because there are many specializations with sub-disciplines, with different domains of
knowledge (experimental, cognitive, personality, social, clinical) Interdisciplinary: combination of different
sciences
Somatic = relating to the body Sensory = relating to senses
Functions/ areas of the brain:
Headquarter
- Sensory-perceptive –receives the stimuli from all the sensorial organs
- Neuro-motor –emits impulses that control the voluntary and involuntary movements
- Integrative –generates mental activities like knowledge, memory, emotions and language
Cortical Region
Brain regions
Cortical: outer layer of the brain; 2 symmetrical hemispheres and each divided in 4 major lobes. Direct brain’s
higher cognitive and emotional functions
Subcortical: process more primitive functions thalamus (acts as a filter for intense information), hypothalamus
(controls body temperature), hunger, sleep, cerebellum, brain stem
Brain lobes:
Occipital lobe - responsible for processing and interpreting visual information
+ recognition of written text
Parietal lobe - plays an important role in touch and spatial navigation
Temporal lobe - major processing centre convergence zone for auditory
perception, memory and language comprehension
Frontal lobe - convergence area for emotions and thoughts (planning,
organizing, problem solving, creativity, reasoning) contains prefrontal cortex
PREFRONTAL CORTEX: important in decision making and social
behavior
HIPPOCAMPUS: associated with impaired learning and long term
memory.
AMYGDALA: two almond-shaped brain areas associated with
processing emotion. More-recent evidence suggests the
amygdalae are smaller in people who are lonely.
System 1 Thinking: Our brains’ fast, automatic, unconscious, and
emotional response to situations and stimuli. System 2 Thinking:
The slow, effortful, and logical mode in which our brains operate when solving more complicated problems.
, PERSONALITY = unique and individual, it has characteristics of thought, behavior and emotions
that remain more or less constant over time -> expression towards outside and the individual in its uniqueness
Character = aspects deriving from environmental influences, are characteristic of an individual and are acquired
over time in one’s socio-cultural context • TEMPERAMENT: hereditary elements of personality (mood, levels of
activity and sensitivity, prevalence of irritability ...)
The Self SELF –> result of certain processes related to the idea we make of ourselves (our identity)
The individual self: ME Idea that one has of oneself, it refers to categories/roles of belonging - Real Self: what I
think I am, the current condition; • Ideal Self: what I aspire to, the ideal to achieve;
Personality and traits theories
Approach of the traits - Traits are neuropsychological properties, have behavioral coherence over time and in
different contexts, giving rise to similar dynamics (scripts) in the individual way of interpreting and experiencing
events. Some traits have more influence than others.
Trait classification - 16 dimensions of personality traits are identified (personality factors)
Big five; Extraversion (vs introversion, confidence), Agreeableness (sensitivity), Conscientiousness (self-
discipline), Neuroticism (vulnerability, insecurity, anxiety), Openness (creativity)
Marketing and psychology meet at brand personality scale: consumers approach brands with similar
personality traits to their own.
3 traits (eigenschappen)
Cardinal traits: all the activities of a person can be traced (enjoy food, practice sport). Unifying influence on
person’s behaviour (Mother Teresa; goodness and charity)
Central traits: define personality, less distinctive, relate to important characteristics of an individual
(intelligent, shy, honest, friendly)
Secondary traits: incoherent or superficial, only a minor influence on individuals’ behaviour. Difficult to
observe, concern tastes, preference, etc
