Method For Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Commercial Communication

• US 20140207558A1
• Filed: 11/14/2013
• Published: 07/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Neuro-Insight Pty., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: SSPT Pty., Ltd.
• Inventors: SILBERSTEIN, Richard Bernard
• Application Number:
  US14/080,780
• Publication Number:
  US 20140207558A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.41
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/16 Devices for psychotechnics using teaching or educational appliances G09B1/00 - G09B7/00; Testing reaction times ; Devices for evaluating the psychological state
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/161 Flicker fusion testing eye testing A61B3/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/316 Modalities, i.e. specific diagnostic methods
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/377 using evoked responses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/378 Visual stimuli
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/38 Acoustic or auditory stimuli
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0244 Optimization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0245 Surveys

Abstract

A method of quantitatively assessing the effectiveness of an audiovisual, visual or audio advertisement including the steps of: presenting the advertisement to a plurality of subjects, the advertisement having a sequence of audiovisual, visual and/or audio features which occur as a function of time; obtaining, during presentation of the advertisement, EEG signals from the subjects from predetermined scalp sites thereof; calculating SSVEP amplitudes and/or phase differences from EEG signals obtained from the predetermined scalp sites in order to obtain output signals which represent predetermined psychological states of each subject to the features as a function of time; combining the output signals from the subjects to obtain pooled output signals; and displaying the pooled output signals to thereby enable quantitative assessment of the subjects'"'"' responses to the features of the advertisement in order to assess the effectiveness of the features of the advertisement.

Claims

1. A method of quantitatively assessing the effectiveness of an audiovisual, visual or audio advertisement including the steps of:

presenting the advertisement to a plurality of subjects, the advertisement having a sequence of audiovisual, visual and/or audio features which occur as a function of time;

obtaining, during presentation of the advertisement, EEG signals from the subjects from predetermined scalp sites thereof;

calculating SSVEP amplitudes and/or phase differences from EEG signals obtained from said predetermined scalp sites in order to obtain output signals which represent predetermined psychological states of each subject to said features as a function of time;

combining the output signals from said subjects to obtain pooled output signals; and

displaying the pooled output signals to thereby enable quantitative assessment of the subjects'"'"' responses to said features of the advertisement in order to assess the effectiveness of the features of the advertisement.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 including the step of simultaneously displaying the advertisement to said plurality of subjects.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of combining the outputs includes the step of averaging output signals from each subject.

4. A method as claimed in claim 2 including the step of selecting scalp sites in order to obtain output signals which enable assessment of:

visual attention to detail;

visual attention to global features;

multi-modal attention to detail or desirability;

multi-modal attention to global features or desirability;

emotional intensity;

attraction-repulsion;

engagement;

or

behavioural intent

in relation to the features of the advertisement.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4 including the step of applying a sinusoidally varying visual flicker stimulus to each subject during presentation of the advertisement to thereby enable calculation of Fourier coefficients from said output signals to thereby enable calculation of said SSVEP amplitudes and/or phase differences.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5 wherein said SSVEP amplitude and phase are calculated by the equations:

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 including the steps of:

obtaining EEG signals from a plurality of scalp sites of each subject; and

utilising inverse mapping techniques such as BESA, EMSA or LORETA to produce modified EEG signals which represent activity in deeper regions of the brain of each subject such as the orbito-frontal cortex or the ventro-medial cortex.

8. A method as claimed in claim 6 including the step of averaging the Fourier coefficients A_n and B_n for a selected group of subjects and then calculating the SSVEP amplitudes and SSVEP phase differences for said group of subject.

9. A method as claimed in claim 5 wherein the flicker signal is applied only to the peripheral vision of each subject.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9 including the steps of directing the light towards the eyes of each subject via first and second screens so that the light passing through the screen constitutes said flicker signal and wherein each screen includes an opaque area, and wherein the method further includes the step of positioning the screens to the relative position of each subject such that said opaque areas prevent said flicker signal impinging on the fovea of each eye of each subject.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the opacity of each screen decreases as a function of distance from its opaque area so that the intensity of the flicker signal impinging on each retina of each subject decreases in value from the central vision to the peripheral vision.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11 including the step of applying a masking pattern to each screen to define the opacity thereof, the method including the step of applying the pattern in accordance with a masking pattern function which provides zero or low gradients for changes in opacity adjacent to its opaque area and peripheral areas thereof which define parts of the flicker signal impinging on the peripheral vision of each subject.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12 wherein the opaque area of each screen is circular and wherein the masking pattern function is selected to be a Gaussian function, so that the opacity P of the screen is defined by the equation:

P=e<sup>−

(r−

R)2/G2</sup> 

 

Equation 1

where;

r is the radial distance from the centre of the opaque area; and

G is a parameter that determines the rate of fall-off of opacity with radial distance, and wherein when r<

R, P=1.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13 wherein G has a value in the range R/4 and 2R.

25. A method as claimed in claim 6 including the steps of applying an electrode to the scalp of each subject at the F₃, F₄, F_p1 and F_p2 sites, calculating SSVEP amplitudes and phase differences from EEG signals from said electrodes, calculating values for attraction-repulsion using the equation:

attraction=(a₁*SSVEP phase advance at electrode F₃+a₂*SSVEP phase advance at electrode F_p1−

a₃*SSVEP phase advance at electrode F₄−

a₄*SSVEP phase advance at electrode F_p2)

where a₁=a₂=a₃=a₄=1.0

whereby said values indicate each subject'"'"'s attraction or repulsion towards features of the advertisement.

26. A method as claimed in claim 7 wherein the step of utilising inverse mapping determines brain activity in:

the right orbito-frontal cortex in the vicinity of Brodman area 11;

the right dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex in the vicinity of Brodman area 9;

the left orbito frontal cortex in the vicinity of Brodman area 11; and

the left dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex in the vicinity of Brodman area 9; and

calculating a value for attraction-repulsion using the equation;

attraction=(c₁*right orbito-frontal cortex (in vicinity of Brodman area 11)+c₂*right dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex (in vicinity of Brodman area 9)+c₃*left orbito frontal cortex (in vicinity of Brodman area 11)+c₄*left dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex (vicinity of Brodman area 9))

where c₁=1, c₂=1, c₃=1, c₄=1,

whereby said values indicate each subject'"'"'s attraction or repulsion towards features of the advertisement.

27. A method as claimed in claim 6 including the steps of applying electrodes to the scalp of each subject at F₃, F₄, P_p1 and F_p2 sites, calculating SSVEP amplitudes and phase differences from said electrodes, calculating values for engagement in features of the advertisement by a weighted mean SSVEP phase advance at said sites using the equation:

engagement=(b₁*SSVEP phase advance at electrode F₃+b₂*SSVEP phase advance at electrode P_p1+b₃*SSVEP phase advance at electrode F₄+b₄*SSVEP phase advance at Electrode F_p2)

where b₁=0.1, b₂=0.4, b₃=0.1, b₄=0.4,

whereby said values indicate each subject'"'"'s engagement in features of the advertisement.

28. A method as claimed in claim 7 wherein the step of utilising inverse mapping determines brain activity in:

the right orbito frontal cortex in the vicinity of Brodman area 11;

the right dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex in the vicinity of Brodman area 9;

the left frontal cortex in the vicinity of Brodman area 11; and

the left dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex in the vicinity of Brodman area 9,

calculating SSVEP amplitudes and phase differences from said modified EEG signals from said electrodes; and

calculating a value for engagement using the equation;

engagement=(d₁*right orbito frontal cortex (in vicinity of Brodman area 11)+d₂*right dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex (in vicinity of Brodman area 9)+d₃*left orbito frontal cortex (in vicinity of Brodman area 11)+d₄*left dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex (in vicinity of Brodman area 9))

where d₁=0.1, d₂=0.4, d₃=0.1, d₄=0.4,

whereby said values indicate each subject'"'"'s engagement in features of the advertisement.

15-24. -24. (canceled)

29-32. -32. (canceled)

33. A method of measuring steady-state visually evoked potential (SSVEP) of a subject including the step of applying time varying flicker signals only to the peripheral vision regions of the retina of a subject and not applying said time varying flicker signals to the centre of vision (fovea) of the subject.

34. A method as claimed in claim 33 wherein said SSVEP amplitude and phase are calculated by the equations:

35-36. -36. (canceled)