EEG readings may be cheaper, more accurate way to predict movie's success

A new study has revealed that EEG readings can predict a movie's success better than surveys.

Authors Maarten A. S. Boksem and Ale Smidts of Erasmus University wrote that several decades of research have shown that many important mental processes occur below the surface of consciousness, leaving people very limited in their ability to predict their own future behavior.

They added that this study suggests that neuroimaging technologies such as EEG machines can reveal information that is not obtainable through conventional marketing surveys.

The study found that the EEG readings were notably more accurate than the participants' conscious statements in predicting which film the participant would actually choose.

This study has shown that compared to traditional surveys, EEG machines capture more accurate and complete information regarding what the consumer will actually do. EEG tests are relatively cheap, and even a modest increase in ability to predict consumer choice is likely to be of immeasurable value to marketers, concluded the authors.

The study appears in the Journal of Marketing Research.