Have you ever wondered why we buy into a cool new product? It’s difficult to pinpoint how we gravitate towards certain brands, however a group of scientists based in London, UK, were able to develop an interesting theory.
In 2008, Dr. Bianca Wittman at the Wellcome Trust Center for Neuroimaging at the University of London investigated the matter through several volunteers and measuring brain activity during a visual study. First, doctors displayed images that were familiar to the participants, and that were each associated with different rewards. During the study, participants were able to figure out which images were associated with certain rewards, however, unfamiliar images also began to be included in the study. The doctors found that as the study continued, the volunteers were more likely to choose the unfamiliar objects.
Dr. Wittman noticed that the ventral striatum, an area in the brain associated with our ‘reward pathway’, was found to be particularly active when participants chose to view completely new products. The ventral striatum is a brain region shared with many other animals, as it is located in the primitive area of the brain.
Carrying out an unusual decision that works out in our advantage leads to the release of a reward transmitter, called dopamine, in this region. Dopamine plays a critical role in our central nervous system, and is linked with the complex system of motivation and reward in our bodies (highlighted in yellow below).
To learn more about the role of dopamine in reward, check out this quick video explanation:
These results prove that our primitive adventurous spirits can make us susceptible to advertising techniques. So, next time you’re wondering why you chose to purchase that chic new product, you can remind yourself that it’s just the animal inside of you craving some adventure.