Neurophysiological correlates of purchase decision-making

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2021.108060Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • New paradigm to study situations where the optimal purchase time is not known.

  • Significant differences in the P3 ERPs between buying or waiting for better offer.

  • Higher induced power in the theta and alpha bands in the buy condition.

  • The study shows neurophysiological markers of purchase decisions.

Abstract

Economic decisions are characterized by their uncertainty and the lack of explicit feedback that indicates the correctness of decisions at the time they are made. Nevertheless, very little is known about the neural mechanisms involved in this process. Our study sought to identify the neurophysiological correlates of purchase decision-making in situations where the optimal purchase time is not known. EEG was recorded in 24 healthy subjects while they were performing a new experimental paradigm that simulates real economic decisions. At the time of price presentation, we found an increase in the P3 Event-Related Potential and induced theta and alpha oscillatory activity when participants chose to buy compared to when they decided to wait for a better price. These results reflect the engagement of attention and executive function in purchase decision-making and might help in the understanding of brain mechanisms underlying economic decisions in uncertain scenarios.

Keywords

Purchase decision-making
Event-related potentials
Induced power analysis
Theta oscillatory activity
Electroencephalography

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