Usability Views Article Details  home | timeline | recent | popular | e-reports | userati | books | about  Inside the mind of the consumer (10 Jun 2004) Can brain scanning really be applied to marketing? The basic principle is not that different from focus groups and other traditional forms of market research. A volunteer lies in an fMRI machine and is shown images or video clips. In place of an interview or questionnaire, the subject's response is evaluated by monitoring brain activity. fMRI provides real-time images of brain activity, in which different areas 'light up' depending on the level of blood flow. This provides clues to the subject's subconscious thought patterns. Neuroscientists know, for example, that the sense of self is associated with an area of the brain known as the medial prefrontal cortex. A flow of blood to that area while the subject is looking at a particular logo suggests that he or she identifies with that brand. Article URL: http://www.economist.com/science/tq/displayStory.cfm?story_id=2724481 Read 42 more articles from Economist sorted by date, popularity, or title. Next Article: I've got you under my skin This site is a labour of love built by Chris McEvoy