Emerging biometric methodologies for human behaviour measurement in applied sensory and consumer science

This chapter covers some of the most popular emerging technologies used for measuring human behaviour in applied sensory and consumer science. Here, we focus on eye-tracking (ET) technology, electrodermal activity (EDA) or skin conductance, facial expression analysis (FEA) and electroencephalography (EEG), all of which can be employed to explore the underlying and at times unconscious processes of consumer behaviour. We walk through the methods traditionally used in sensory and consumer science and explain why, in isolation, they are incomplete. We provide insights into the basic principles of the different biometric technologies in focus, including objective quantification of attentional, emotional and neural correlates of consumer behaviour and food choice. We introduce state-of-the-art consumer research examples that utilise these biometric tools. Finally, we highlight some of the future potential applications in sensory and consumer science that these emerging technologies enable.