Implicit Discussion Session

30 IFST members and guests attended an SSG discussion session on Implicit testing held at Reading University on February 6. This was the latest in a series of morning discussion meetings on trending sensory and consumer topics. The morning session was followed by a networking lunch and then an SSG committee meeting.

The first speaker was Andy Dean, CEO of Neurosense. Andy has been instrumental in re-focussing Neurosense from a purely fMRI led business to become a global leader in the development and application of online implicit tests. Isabelle Cayeux, Principle Scientist at Firmenich, was the second speaker, who described a series of experiments for which the main objective was to investigate the implicit nature of the relaxing/energizing processing of fragrances.

The session was ended with a group discussion session facilitated by SSG committee member, Carol Raithatha. Delegates considered the role of non-conscious associations in buying behaviour and the general consensus was this is almost always important and that there are implicit processes taking place when we make any type of choices, even if we consciously feel we are not engaged.

The SSG committee would like to thank the delegates for attending and the excellent speakers and those who helped organise this event including IFST staff and SSG committee members Sarah Billson, Tracey Sanderson, Carol Raithatha and Cindy Beeren.