Neuropsychological and prosocial measures in response to different emotional-valenced context in consumer behavior

People are able to consciously deliberate but they are influenced by their subjective affective and motivational mechanisms. Between the others, personal attitudes and ind ividual differences support distinct approach to emotional contexts when emotional stimuli are used to produce advertising. Thus, it was suggested that the consumer decision-making is related to subjective preferences which are more or less approach-related (proactive attitudes, BAS system) or withdrawal-related (inhibitory attitudes, BIS system). Frontal brain system was suggested to support these different emotional-valenced motivational attitudes, with an increased left hemisphere activity in the case of approach-attitude and a more right hemisphere activity in the case of withdrawal-attitudes. Moreover it was suggested that some proactive subjects are more directly responsive to prosocial conditions, when an emotional situations is evaluated, also in case of an advertising. The present research tested the direct effect of these distinct brain systems and motivations in response to different advertising conditions. We studied the consumer reaction to luxury and consumer goods associated to emotional stimuli as a function of the subjective emotional and prosocial attitudes. Autonomic (SCR, skin conductance response) and eye-movement (eye-tracking) measures were monitored during videotapes showing different emotional contexts related to a consumer or luxury product. Differences in emotional (skin conductance) and eye-movement responses (number and duration of fixations) were found as a function of subject attitudes. Specifically, based on a set of ANOVAs, more BAS-subjects showed to be more directly responsive to both positive and negative cues, whereas more BIS-subjects were less responsive in general. Moreover they showed an increased response to negative stimuli. The emotional and motivation systems may support the subjective differences between individuals during processing of advertising.