Short imagery task (SIT) research method

• US 9,454,646 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2014
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nielsen Consumer LLC (Nielsen Holdings plc)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Siefert, Caleb J.
• Primary Examiner(s): EGLOFF, PETER RICHARD
• Application Number:
  US14/230,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20140214335A1
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• Field of Search: 434/236, 434/350, 705/7.29, 705/7.31
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/112 for measuring diameter of pupils
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0531 Measuring skin impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/162 Testing reaction times
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/70 Multimodal biometrics, e.g. combining information from different biometric modalities
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/065 Combinations of audio and video presentations, e.g. videotapes, videodiscs, television systems
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/10 all student stations being capable of presenting the same information simultaneously G09B5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/073 all student stations being capable of presenting the same questions simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires

Abstract

The present invention relates to biologically and behaviorally based methods of measuring audience response to a short stimulus.

Claims

1. A system for determining a measure of response of an audience to a target stimulus comprising:

at least one display device to display a first set of stimuli to the audience;

at least one sensor to measure at least two biometric parameters of a plurality of participants in the audience measured during a plurality of exposures of the first set of stimuli to each participant in the audience, wherein the first set of stimuli comprise;

a first series of standardized stimuli, wherein each standardized image is followed by a null exposure,

a first target stimulus, wherein the target stimulus is followed by a null exposure,

a second series of standardized stimuli, wherein each standardized image is followed by a null exposure, and

re-exposure to each target stimulus;

at least one self-report device to collect self-report responses from the plurality of members of the audience;

a first processor;

memory connected to the first processor storing program instructions and data;

program instructions stored in the memory and executable by the first processor to;

(1) receive data from the at least one sensor, the data representative of the at least two biometric parameters measured during the plurality of exposures of the first set of stimuli to each participant in the audience;

(2) determine response synchrony of the audience by;

stamping the data from the at least one sensor for each participant with a time indicator and a participant identifier;

synchronizing the data from the at least one sensor for each participant with the first presentation;

measuring a rate of change of the data from the at least one sensor during a first time period in the first presentation; and

standardizing the data received from the at least one sensor for the audience based on the rate of change during the first time period, the standardized data representative of the response synchrony;

(3) determine an Emotional Impact Score by calculating a single physiological score for each participant based on the received data representative of the at least two biometric parameters, wherein the single physiological score comprises an integration across channels of the at least two biometric parameters; and

(4) calculate an Explicit Emotion Score for the audience using each participant'"'"'s response to the at least one self-report question; and

a second processor, the first processor to transmit the Emotional Impact Score and the Explicit Emotion Score to the second processor, the second processor to;

plot the Emotional Impact Score and the Explicit Emotion Score on a biphasic graph to predict a level of engagement of a population larger than the audience;

estimate an effectiveness of the first set of stimuli based on the level of engagement; and

select at least one of (1) elements of the first set of stimuli or (2) a second set of stimuli for subsequent presentation based on the estimate.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the audience comprises at least 10 participants.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one self-report question comprises a level of likeability of the at least one target stimulus, a valence of emotional response to the at least one target stimulus, an interest for the at least one target stimulus, or a combination thereof.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one self-report question comprises at least three self-report questions.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the Explicit Emotion Score for the audience is calculated using each participant'"'"'s response to the at least three self-report questions.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one self-report question comprises at least three self-report questions comprising a level of likeability of the at least one target stimulus, a valence of emotional response to the at least one target stimulus, and an interest for the at least one target stimulus.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein each participant is exposed to the standardized stimuli and the at least one target stimulus for between about 5 seconds and about 20 seconds, and wherein each participant is exposed to a null exposure for between about 5 seconds and about 15 seconds.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least two parameters each independently comprise one of skin conductance, heart rate, heart rate variability respiration, and brain wave activity.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first processor is to receive visual attention data from each participant via a visual attention device, wherein the at least one biometric sensor, the visual attention device, and the display device are synchronized.

10. A computer program product for determining a measure of response of an audience to a target stimulus comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer program instructions executable by a first processor to perform:

(1) measuring, using at least one sensor, at least two biometric parameters of a plurality of participants in the audience measured during a first presentation displayed by a display device to the audience presented over a period of time, the first presentation including a first series of standardized stimuli, at least one target stimulus, and a second series of standardized stimuli, and, using the at least one sensor, the at least two biometric parameters measuring during a re-exposure of the audience to the at least one target stimulus;

(2) receiving data from the at least one sensor, the data including data representative of the at least two biometric parameters collected during the first presentation to the audience;

(3) determining response synchrony of the audience by;

stamping the data from the at least one sensor for each participant with a time indicator and a participant identifier;

synchronizing the data from the at least one sensor for each participant with the first presentation;

measuring a rate of change of the data from the at least one sensor during a first time period in the first presentation; and

standardizing the data received from the at least one sensor for the audience based on the rate of change during the first time period, the standardized data representative of the response synchrony;

(4) determining an Emotional Impact Score by calculating a single physiological score for each participant based on the received data representative of the at least two biometric parameters;

(5) calculating an Explicit Emotion Score by;

collecting and recording from the at least one self-report device for each participant a response to at least one self-report question during the re-exposure, wherein the at least one self-report question comprises a level of likeability of the at least one target stimulus, a valence of emotional response to the at least one target stimulus, an interest for the at least one target stimulus, or a combination thereof, wherein the Explicit Emotion Score comprises a single score comprising a combination of the responses to each of the at least one self-report question; and

(6) transmitting the Emotional Impact Score and the Explicit Emotion Score to a second processor, wherein the second processor is to;

plot the Emotional Impact Score and the Explicit Emotion Score on a biphasic graph to predict a level of engagement of a population larger than the audience;

estimate an effectiveness of the first presentation based on the level of engagement; and

select at least one of (1) elements of the first presentation or (2) a second presentation for subsequent presentation based on the estimate.

11. A computer program product for determining a measure of response of an audience to a target stimulus comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer program instructions executable by a first processor to perform:

(1) measuring, using at least one sensor, at least two biometric parameters of a plurality of participants in the audience measured during a plurality of exposures of a first set of stimuli to each participant in the audience, wherein the first set of stimuli comprise;

a first series of standardized stimuli, wherein each standardized image is followed by a null exposure,

a first target stimulus, wherein the target stimulus is followed by a null exposure,

a second series of standardized stimuli, wherein each standardized image is followed by a null exposure, and

re-exposure to each target stimulus;

(2) receiving data representative of at least two biometric parameters measured during the plurality of exposures of the first set of stimuli to each participant in the audience;

(3) determining response synchrony of the audience by;

stamping the data from the at least one sensor for each participant with a time indicator and a participant identifier;

synchronizing the data from the at least one sensor for each participant with the first presentation;

measuring a rate of change of the data from the at least one sensor during a first time period in the first presentation; and

standardizing the data received from the at least one sensor for the audience based on the rate of change during the first time period, the standardized data representative of the response synchrony;

(4) determining an Emotional Impact Score by calculating a single physiological score for each participant based on the received data representative of the at least two biometric parameters, wherein the single physiological score comprises an integration across channels of the at least two biometric parameters;

(5) calculating an Explicit Emotion Score for the audience using each participant'"'"'s response to the at least one self-report question; and

(6) transmitting the Emotional Impact Score and the Explicit Emotion Score to a second processor, wherein the second processor is to;

plot the Emotional Impact Score and the Explicit Emotion Score on a biphasic graph to predict a level of engagement of a population larger than the audience;

estimate an effectiveness of the first set of stimuli based on the level of engagement; and

select at least one of (1) elements of the first set of stimuli or (2) a second set of stimuli for subsequent presentation based on the estimate.

12. A system for determining a measure of response of an audience to a target stimulus comprising:

at least one display device to display a first presentation to the audience;

at least one sensor to measure at least two biometric parameters of a plurality of participants in the audience measured during the first presentation displayed by the display device to the audience presented over a period of time, the first presentation including a first series of standardized stimuli, at least one target stimulus, and a second series of standardized stimuli, and measured during a re-exposure of the audience to the at least one target stimulus;

at least one self-report device to collect self-report responses from the plurality of members of the audience;

a first processor;

memory connected to the first processor storing program instructions and data;

program instructions stored in the memory and executable by the first processor to;

(1) receive data from the at least one sensor, the data including data representative of the at least two biometric parameters measured during the first presentation to the audience;

(2) determine response synchrony of the audience by;

stamping the data from the at least one sensor for each participant with a time indicator and a participant identifier;

synchronizing the data from the at least one sensor for each participant with the first presentation;

measuring a rate of change of the data from the at least one sensor during a first time period in the first presentation; and

standardizing the data received from the at least one sensor for the audience based on the rate of change during the first time period, the standardized data representative of the response synchrony;

(3) determine an Emotional Impact Score by calculating a single physiological score for each participant based on the received data representative of the at least two biometric parameters; and

(4) calculate an Explicit Emotion Score by;

collecting and recording from the at least one self-report device for each participant a response to at least one self-report question during the re-exposure, wherein the at least one self-report question comprises a level of likeability of the at least one target stimulus, a valence of emotional response to the at least one target stimulus, an interest for the at least one target stimulus, or a combination thereof, wherein the Explicit Emotion Score comprises a single score comprising a combination of the responses to each of the at least one self-report question; and

a second processor, the first processor to transmit the Emotional Impact Score and the Explicit Emotion Score to the second processor, the second processor to;

plot the Emotional Impact Score and the Explicit Emotion Score on a biphasic graph to predict a level of engagement of a population larger than the audience;

estimate an effectiveness of the first presentation based on the level of engagement; and

select at least one of (1) elements of the first presentation or (2) a second presentation for subsequent presentation based on the estimate.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the second processor is to estimate the effectiveness of the first presentation by comparing the level of engagement for the first presentation to a level of engagement for a third presentation, the third presentation occurring at an earlier time than the presentation.

14. The system of claim 13, further including identifying an shared attribute between the first presentation and the third presentation based on the estimate.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the first processor is to transmit the response synchrony to the second processor and the second processor is to predict the level of engagement based also on the response synchrony.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the first series of standardized stimuli comprises between 4 and 20 standardized images and wherein the second series of standardized stimuli comprises between 4 and 20 standardized images.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein data representative of a third biometric parameter is received.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least two biometric parameters include a first and a second biometric parameter, wherein each parameter independently comprises one of skin conductance, heart rate, heart rate variability respiration, and brain wave activity.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the system further receives visual attention data collected during the first presentation and the re-exposure, and the single physiological score for each participant is further based on the received visual attention data.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the visual attention data comprises at least one of gaze location, fixation duration, and movement over the first presentation for each member of the audience.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least two biometric parameters each independently comprise one of skin conductance, heart rate, heart rate variability respiration, and brain wave activity.