Brain scans predict shoppers' purchasing choices

The possibilities are limitless...It would be cool to be able to image a brain scan of someone you are talking to so you could have an idea if you are e.g., coming together or moving futher apart in a negotiation...


NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Scientists can now look into the brains of people making a purchase decision and predict whether or not they will buy.

When people see something they want to purchase, a portion of the brain called the nucleus accumbens "lights up" on a brain scan. If the price is too high, another region of the brain called the insula is activated and the mesial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) is deactivated, Dr. Brian Knutson of Stanford University in California and colleagues report.

Based on the activation and deactivation of these regions, Knutson and his team were able to predict whether or not people would purchase something before they were conscience of making a decision.