Brain waves measure the effect of anti-alcohol campaigns

However, not all health campaigns achieve the desired effect. Having an objective measure of the effectiveness of health-related messages at the campaign development stage would thus be extremely valuable. To this end, psychologists from the Konstanz Cluster of Excellence "Collective Behaviour" led by Harald Schupp and Britta Renner are conducting studies measuring the brain activity of viewers who watch real video health messages against risky alcohol consumption.

In laboratory experiments using advanced imaging techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) or electroencephalography (EEG), the researchers have previously demonstrated that particularly strong messages lead to an increased synchronization of the viewers' brain activity. This means that, when watching the video, the participants' brain activity changes in a similar way -- particularly in regions of the brain associated with higher-order processes such as attention, emotions and personal relevance.

From the lab to real-world application

The Konstanz researchers used simpler, portable EEGs for the first time in a recent study. They measured the brain waves of the viewers in a standard seminar room -- i.e. outside an elaborately shielded laboratory -- and of a whole group of participants at the same time. They demonstrated that the synchronization of brain waves while watching particularly strong video messages against risky alcohol consumption can also be measured under these real-world conditions and with the simplified, more cost-effective technical setup.

"This is an important step toward making the method more practical for public health applications. In the future, EEG studies in small 'neural' focus groups conducted outside university laboratories could contribute to the evidence-based development and selection of campaign materials, ensuring greater effectiveness of health campaigns," says Schupp.

Key facts:

• Researchers from the Konstanz Cluster of Excellence "Collective Behaviour" investigate the effectiveness of video health messages against risky alcohol consumption using synchronous EEG measurements in small groups.
• Effective video messages cause the brain activity of viewers to synchronize more strongly than less effective messages.
• Harald Schupp is a professor of general and biological psychology at the University of Konstanz. As part of the Cluster of Excellence "Collective Behaviour," he is project leader in the areas of brain synchronization and decision-making as well as nutrition and communal eating.
• Britta Renner is a professor of psychological assessment and health psychology at the University of Konstanz. She is co-speaker of the Cluster of Excellence "Collective Behaviour" and leads the research project "Collective Appetite."
• Funding: German Research Foundation (EXC2117-422037984 and FOR 2374) and Messmer Foundation