Students discuss the ethics of neuromarketing after learning about an experiment conducted by the Brown Human Neuroimaging Lab at Baylor College of Medicine.
This study involved fMRI imaging of participants' brains while they sampled Pepsi™ and Coke™ to study what parts of the brain register preference and how cultural influences affect preferences.
Forbes magazine article "In Search of the Buy Button"
Serendip Studio blog post on the Montague Lab study Pepsi vs. Coke
Optional Activity: Students can participate in and analyze a taste test experiment to discover if brand name influences soft drink preference.
Optional Activity Length: 1 class period