Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Affective preference measurement of product appearance based on event-related potentials

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Cognition, Technology & Work Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The product appearance plays an important role in users’ purchase decision, while the emotions elicited by the product appearance are subtle, low intensity and not easy to obtain. Event-related potentials (ERPs) can reflect people’s psychological activities and effectively identify the characteristics of brain’s affective process. In the present study, the affective preference measurement of humidifier appearance was conducted based on the theory of affective design and event-related potentials. Firstly, the collected humidifier pictures were screened to be the experimental stimuli through multidimensional scaling analysis and cluster analysis. During the affective preference measurement experiment, the participants were asked to judge the affective preference level (liked vs. neutral vs. disliked) of humidifier pictures with the mouse button clicking (left, middle, right), and the electroencephalograph signals were recorded at the same time. ERPs results showed that the frontal and central N1 and frontal, frontal–central and central late positive potential can be taken as the indexes to measure participants’ affective preference of humidifier appearance. In conclusion, the participants’ affective preference level of humidifier appearance can be measured by ERPs. The experiment results can be used to guide product design, by measuring the brain activities of different prototypes at the phase of product development we can roughly infer which one is the user preferred or not preferred.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Antal A, Kéri S, Kovács G, Liszli P, Janka Z, Benedek G (2001) Event-related potentials from a visual categorization task. Brain Res Protoc 7(2):131–136

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Britton JC, Taylor SF, Sudheimer KD, Liberzon I (2006) Facial expressions and complex IAPS pictures: common and differential networks. Neuroimage 31(2):906–919

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Christine A, Andreas M, Paul P, Georg W (2004) Modulation of event-related brain potentials during affective picture processing: a complement to startle reflex and skin conductance response? Int J Psychophysiol 54(3):231–240

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Codispoti M, Ferrari V, Bradley MM (2007) Repetition and event-related potentials: distinguishing early and late processes in affective picture perception. J Cogn Neurosci 19(4):577–586

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cuthbert BN, Schupp HT, Bradley MM, Birbaumer N, Lang PJ (2000) Brain potentials in affective picture processing: covariation with autonomic arousal and affective report. Biol Psychol 52(2):95–111

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Desmet PMA, Hekkert P (1998) Emotional reactions elicited by car design: a measurement tool for designers. In: Proceedings of the 31st ISATA conference, Düsseldorf, pp 237–244

  • Desmet PMA, Hekkert PPM, Jacobs JJ (2000) When a car makes you smile: development and application of an instrument to measure product emotions. Adv Consum Res 27(1):111–117

    Google Scholar 

  • Dien J (2017) Best practices for repeated measures ANOVAs of ERP data: reference, regional channels, and robust ANOVAs. Int J Psychophysiol 111:42–56

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ding Y, Guo F, Zhang XF, Qu QX, Liu WL (2016) Using event related potentials to identify a user’s behavioural intention aroused by product form design. Appl Ergon 55:117–123

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dirin A, Laine TH, Nieminen M (2017) Sustainable usage through emotional engagement: a user experience analysis of an adaptive driving school application. Cogn Technol Work 19:303–313

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dolcos F, Cabeza R (2002) Event-related potentials of emotional memory: encoding pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral pictures. Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci 2(3):252–263

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dunning JP, Hajcak G (2009) See no evil: directing visual attention within unpleasant images modulates the electrocortical response. Psychophysiology 46(1):28–33

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferrarini R, Carbognin C, Casarotti E, Nicolis E, Nencini A, Meneghini A (2010) The emotional response to wine consumption. Food Qual Prefer 21:720–725

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Flaisch T, Stockburger J, Schupp HT (2008) Affective prime and target picture processing: an ERP analysis of early and late interference effects. Brain Topogr 20(4):183–191

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Foti D, Hajcak G (2008) Deconstructing reappraisal: descriptions preceding arousing pictures modulate the subsequent neural response. J Cogn Neurosci 20(6):977–988

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guo F, Zhao L, Cao YQ, Zhang XY (2012) Optimization design of the shape of automobile face based on Kansei engineering. Ind Eng Manag 17(6):111–116

    Google Scholar 

  • Guo F, Liu WL, Liu FT, Wang H, Wang TB (2014) Emotional design method of product presented in multi-dimensional variables based on Kansei engineering. J Eng Des 25(4–6):194–212

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guo F, Ding Y, Wang TB, Liu WL, Jin HZ (2016) Applying event related potentials to evaluate user preferences toward smartphone form design. Int J Ind Ergon 54:57–64

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hajcak G, Nieuwenhuis S (2006) Reappraisal modulates the electrocortical response to unpleasant pictures. Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci 6(4):291–297

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Handy TC, Smilek D, Geiger L, Liu C, Schooler JW (2010) ERP evidence for rapid hedonic evaluation of logos. J Cogn Neurosci 22(1):124–138

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hirschman EC, Holbrook MB (1982) Hedonic consumption: emerging concepts, methods and propositions. J Mark 46(3):92–101

  • Hu ZG, Wei XT, Qiao XL, Li Y, Fan JS (2014) Research on perceptual quantization in ladies’ handbag design. China Leather 24:122–125

    Google Scholar 

  • Hua M, Han ZR, Chen S, Yang M, Zhou R, Hu F (2014) Late positive potential (LPP) modulation during affective picture processing in preschoolers. Biol Psychol 101(3):77–81

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keil A, Müller MM, Gruber T, Wienbruch C, Stolarova M, Elbert T (2001) Effects of emotional arousal in the cerebral hemispheres: a study of oscillatory brain activity and event-related potentials. Clin Neurophysiol 112(11):2057–2068

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keselman HJ, Wilcox RR, Lix LM (2003) A generally robust approach to hypothesis testing in independent and correlated groups designs. Psychophysiology 40(4):586–596

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • LaBar KS, Cabeza R (2006) Cognitive neuroscience of emotional memory. Nat Rev Neurosci 7(1):54–64

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Langeslag SJ, Jansma BM, Franken IH, Van-Strien JW (2007) Event-related potential responses to love-related facial stimuli. Biol Psychol 76(1):109–115

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laparra-Hernández J, Belda-Lois JM, Medina E, Campos N, Poveda R (2009) EMG and GSR signals for evaluating user’s perception of different types of ceramic flooring. Int J Ind Ergon 39(2):326–332

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li S, Sun M, Xu N, Liu FT (2013) Development of a model to measure consumer emotions associated with web browsing. Ind Eng Manag 18(1):106–110

    Google Scholar 

  • Li R, Qin R, Zhang JS, Wu JJ, Zhou CL (2015) The esthetic preference of Chinese typefaces—an event-related potential study. Brain Res 1598:57–65

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu CY, Wang HL, Chen R, Chen WR (2012) Product design and evaluation based on Kansei engineering. Packag Eng 33(10):90–94

    Google Scholar 

  • Lü J, Chen DS (2013) A study on psychological and physiological responses to emotions evoked by clothing styles using SAM model and ERPs. Res J Appl Sci Eng Technol 5(5):1740–1743

    Google Scholar 

  • Luck SJ (2014) An introduction to the event-related potential technique, 2 revised edn. The MIT Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Macnamara A, Foti D, Hajcak G (2009) Tell me about it: neural activity elicited by emotional pictures and preceding descriptions. Emotion 9(4):531–543

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mandryk RL, Inkpen KM, Calvert TW (2006) Using psychophysiological techniques to measure user experience with entertainment technologies. Behav Inf Technol 25(2):141–158

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matsuda M, Nittono H (2015) Motivational significance and cognitive effort elicit different late positive potentials. Clin Neurophysiol 126(2):304–313

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Motte D (2009) Using brain imaging to measure emotional response to product appearance. In: Proceedings of the 4th international conference on designing pleasurable products and interfaces-DPPI09, Compiègne, pp 187–198

  • Nasoz F, Alvarez K, Lisetti CL, Finkelstein N (2004) Emotion recognition from physiological signals using wireless sensors for presence technologies. Cogn Technol Work 6(1):4–14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Partala T, Surakka V (2003) Pupil size variation as an indication of affective processing. Int J Hum Comput Stud 59(1–2):185–198

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pastor MC, Bradley MM, Löw A, Versace F, Moltó J, Lang PJ (2008) Affective picture perception: emotion, context, and the late positive potential. Brain Res 1189(3):145–151

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pollatos O, Kirsch W, Schandry R (2005) On the relationship between interoceptive awareness, emotional experience, and brain processes. Cogn Brain Res 25(3):948–962

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rainville P, Bechara A, Naqvi N, Damasio A (2006) Basic emotions are associated with distinct patterns of cardiorespiratory activity. Int J Physiol 61(1):5–18

    Google Scholar 

  • Reijneveld K, De Looze M, Krause F, Desmet P (2003) Measuring the emotions elicited by office chairs. In: International conference on designing pleasurable products and interfaces, Pittsburgh, pp 6–10

  • Righi S, Orlando V, Marzi T (2014) Attractiveness and affordance shape tools neural coding: insight from ERPs. Int J Psychophysiol 91(3):240–253

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Su JN, Wang RH, Zhao HJ, Zhang ST (2015) Optimization design of product modeling based on Kansei image. Chin J Eng Des 22(1):35–41

    Google Scholar 

  • Vogel EK, Luck SJ (2000) The visual N1 component as an index of a discrimination process. Psychophysiology 37(2):190–203

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Winckler M, Bernhaupt R, Bach C (2016) Identification of UX dimensions for incident reporting systems with mobile applications in urban contexts: a longitudinal study. Cogn Technol Work 18(4):673–694

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang W, Li H, Chen J, Chen N, Liu X, Wang D, Shen J (2014) Posterior P1 and early frontal negativity reflect developmental changes in attentional distraction during adolescence. Brain Cogn 87(3):30–38

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou XX, Liang HE (2015) Evaluation and analysis of perceptual images of clothing fabrics. J Text Res 36(3):99–104

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 71471033, 71171041). We thank the participants from the Northeastern University. Finally, thank the editor and anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and advice.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Business Administration, Northeastern University, Shenyang, China

    Fu Guo, Xue-shuang Wang, Wei-lin Liu & Yi Ding

  2. School of Management, Qingdao Technological University, Qingdao, China

    Wei-lin Liu

Authors
  1. Fu Guo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Xue-shuang Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Wei-lin Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Yi Ding
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xue-shuang Wang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Guo, F., Wang, Xs., Liu, Wl. et al. Affective preference measurement of product appearance based on event-related potentials. Cogn Tech Work 20, 299–308 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10111-018-0463-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10111-018-0463-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation