Coke or Pepsi?

Which one do you prefer?

Under the column of your choice on the board please print your name. Thanks.

Neural Correlates of Behavioral Preference for Culturally Familiar Drinks.

By: Lisa Reagan & Gracia Scott

Lets See if you actually do prefer what you think!

Our Version of the study

VS.

Now lets discuss the study Just a few facts to start off with.

Coke and Pepsi are nearly identical in chemical composition, yet individuals routinely display strong liking. Advertisements play a large role in this decision as well.

PARTICIPANTS:
In this study there were a total of 67 subjects.

They were separated into 4 groups.

n1=16 n2=17 n3=16 n4=18 -Each group was given a separate taste test outside the scanner (MRI machine) and drink delivery pattern while in the scanner.

First

They were asked just like youWhich drink do you prefer to consume: Coke or Pepsi? Your answer to this question is considered your stated preference.

Next Came 3 Rounds of Taste Tests.

The First two groups chose between two unmarked cups, one of which contained Pepsi and the other Coke. The other two groups made three preference decision , but in this case both cups contained the same drink, however one cup was unlabeled and the other indicated the brand of the drink contained in the cup. Preferences exhibited during the taste tests is referred to as behavioral preferences.

So they had to do some thinking

Some things complicated their study. 1) Blood oxygenation level-dependent responses in reward-related brain areas are significantly affected by whether stimuli are predictable in time. 2) They wished to study differential brain responses to soda delivery alone. Because of these restraints they could not show brand information at the same time as the soda delivery. However, with brand information displayed prior to soda delivery, they became ok with making the soda delivery predictable.

So their strategies were

1) Randomize the time between the display of brand information and delivery of soda. 2) Construct a design in which the brain responses can still be given when brain information constantly proceeds soda delivery. 3) They trained subject to expect Coke and Pepsi at fixed times.

GROUP 1-2: Anonymous Taste Test.

They showed no distinct preference. Their was an equal number of subjects declaring a preference for either Coke, Pepsi or no preference.

GROUP 1-2: Scanning & Anonymous

In The scanner the taste tests indicated that the difference in brain responses evoked by Coke and Pepsi was displayed in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Individuals generally had a strong stated preference for either Coke or Pepsi, and at any particular time, a guess of which soda they were receiving may have influenced neural responses.

Group 3: Semi anonymous Taste Test Coke

As before, 3 pairs of cups were presented to the subjects. However, in each pair one of the cups was labeled Coke and the other was left unlabeled. Subjects were told that the unlabeled cups could contain Pepsi or Coke. Subjects in this group showed a strong bias in favor of the labeled cup.

Group 3: Scanning, Semi anonymous Coke

In the condition, one cue was a depiction of a coke can followed 6s later by the coke delivery. They contrasted the brain response to surprising delivery of Coke when it was known to be Coke with the surprising delivery of Coke when it could have been Coke or Pepsi.

Group 4: Semi anonymous Taste Test, Pepsi

The taste test was conducted exactly as for group 3, except both cups in each pair contained Pepsi, and one was labeled as Pepsi. Again, subjects were told that the unlabeled cup could contain either Coke or Pepsi. People still preferred Coke. (Or what they assumed was Coke.)

Group 4: Scanning & semi anonymous Taste Test, Pepsi

Done the same way again as group 3, no brain area showed a significant main effect of brand knowledge for Pepsi. Thus, it seems that brand knowledge for Coke and Pepsi have truly different responses both in terms of affecting behavioral preferences and in terms of modifying brain responses.

The Winner is

????s

1) Do you think commercials and advertisements affect your thoughts on soda? (Can you make yourself like the taste of something?) 2) From doing this study earlier how has your opinion changed or not changed on Coke vs. Pepsi? 3) Do you think this study could have been done with other sodas and comparing them to either Coke or Pepsi? (Ex. Comparing RC Cola to Coke?)