Predicting audience preferences for television advertisements using functional brain imaging

Consistent with the Neuroergonomics approach, brain activities measured in response to viewing of natural stimuli in everyday settings could be used to assess audience preferences. In this study, we record brain activity from a group of naive individuals while viewing popular, previously broadcast television content, Super Bowl advertisements using functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), a wearable neuroimaging technique that utilizes near infrared light to measure cortical oxygenation changes. Results indicate that brain activation predicts the self-reported rating by a broad audience.