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Out of sight – not out of mind!

Wednesday 31 August 2011

Brain

In what could turn out to be a major landmark study and watershed for many of the world’s leading brands, academics at UEL have discovered that a person’s brain has the potential to instantly recognise a product – even if the person has not been consciously focusing on that product.

In a new study published in the journal NeuroImage , Dr Volker Thoma from the Brain, Cognition and Behaviour Research Group at UEL, along with colleagues at Cambridge University, have lifted the lid on the brain’s ability to recognise images shown for very brief durations – an important finding for advertising professionals and consumers.

As part of the study, researchers carried out a number of fMRI scans on people who had volunteered to take part. In hundreds of trials, participants were repeatedly shown two images, such as a car or a tennis racket, on the left and right of a screen. While these images were displayed on the screen for a tenth of a second, the volunteers’ attention was specifically focused on one image, to the extent that the other image would not be noticed.

A few seconds later, a single image appeared on the screen showing either of the previously seen objects (e.g., the car that was focused, or the tennis racket that was seen but not noticed). Dr Thoma and his fellow researchers found that people’s recognition was quicker when they saw the focused objects a second time - even if these were depicted in a different way.

In a surprising twist, the researchers also discovered people had quick recognition of the image they were not consciously focused on. However, this would only apply if this object was shown to the volunteer in a familiar way (e.g., exactly the same picture of the object). In a significant development, they found this recognition was associated with the parietal lobe area of the brain – a part of the brain typically involved in actions, such as reaching out for a physical object.

Explaining how these findings could play out in a real life scenario, Dr Thoma, said: “Just imagine you’re in the cinema watching a film and your undivided attention is on the main storyline, where you notice one half of a car logo. At the same time, there is a new soft drink product in the background that you’re not consciously focusing on.

“On the way home from the cinema, you come across an advertising billboard with that new soft drink and your familiarity with this product is instant, such that you are more likely to pick it up in the supermarket . At the same time, a billboard with the full car logo may not have the same effect in terms of recognition. Through this research, advertisers and consumers will better understand ways in which instances product placement can work on a subliminal or unconscious level.”

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Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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