Guest Editors
Maike Hübner
Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences; University of Twente
Maike Hübner is a research associate at the Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences (HRW) and a PhD candidate at the University of Twente. She is affiliated with the Usability and Interaction Laboratory (UnI Lab) at HRW and the Chair of Product-Market Relations at the University of Twente. Her research focuses on neuromarketing and consumer behavior with a strong emphasis on biometric data collection methods. She has particular expertise in eye-tracking, electrodermal activity, and facial expression analysis, as well as in multimodal data integration for applied psychology and advertising contexts. Her recent publications in Frontiers in Psychology and Frontiers in Neuroscience detail methodological protocols and reproducibility challenges in biometric research, underlining her commitment to advancing transparency and methodological rigor in applied neuroscience.
Julia Thalmann
Department of Business Administration and Economics, Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences
Julia Thalmann is a professor of business administration with a focus on trade, retailing, and e-commerce at the Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences (HRW), where she heads the Usability and Interaction Laboratory (UnI Lab). Her research bridges applied psychology, marketing, and consumer behavior, with a strong focus on neuromarketing methods and user experience. She has extensive expertise in designing and supervising biometric studies with the aim of better understanding consumer decision-making and negotiation behavior. Prof. Thalmann has led numerous interdisciplinary projects at the intersection of business and applied science and recently co-authored publications in Frontiers in Psychology and Frontiers in Neuroscience. She is committed to fostering methodological transparency and reproducibility in applied research, making her a strong advocate for advancing reporting standards in this field.
Divya Seernani
Advisory Guest Editor
Dr. Divya Seernani is the lead product specialist and researcher at iMotions, where she supports academic and industry partners in designing and implementing multimodal biometric research studies. She holds a PhD in psychology with a focus on applied neuroscience methods and has extensive expertise in integrating tools such as eye-tracking, EEG, galvanic skin response (GSR), and facial expression analysis (FEA) for both laboratory and field applications. In her role at iMotions, Dr. Seernani collaborates with researchers worldwide to optimize methodological design, ensure data quality, and advance innovative applications of biometric technologies in human behavior research. She is particularly committed to promoting transparency and reproducibility in biometric research while also fostering the development of new methods and interdisciplinary approaches.
Collection Overview
Understanding human behavior is central to business and consumer research, yet traditional self-report methods often fail to capture the unconscious, emotional, and physiological processes that drive decision-making. Neuromarketing and applied neuroscience address this challenge by integrating tools such as eye-tracking, galvanic skin response (GSR), facial expression analysis (FEA), and electroencephalography (EEG). These modalities allow researchers to move beyond “what people say” toward “what people experience,” providing insights into attention, arousal, emotion, and engagement across domains such as advertising, e-commerce, negotiation, and retail design.
Despite their growing use, studies employing these methods often lack standardized reporting practices. Crucial details such as sampling rates, calibration routines, software settings (e.g., in Tobii or iMotions), and the treatment of missing or noisy data are frequently underreported, limiting reproducibility and comparability. At the same time, systematic evaluations of methodological trade-offs (e.g., desktop vs. remote eye-tracking, wearable vs. stationary devices, or respiration detection across contexts) remain scarce, though highly valuable for applied researchers.
This Methods Collection, therefore, invites contributions that systematically document what should be reported, how it should be reported, and why these details matter for reproducibility, as well as present methodological innovations, comparisons, or validations that inform best practices for biometric data collection. We particularly encourage submissions from labs working at the intersection of consumer research, applied neuroscience, and human-computer interaction. By combining transparent reporting protocols with broader methodological insights and leveraging JoVE’s video format to demonstrate experimental setups and procedures, this collection aims to strengthen standards, foster interdisciplinary exchange, and accelerate robust evidence accumulation in neuromarketing and consumer neuroscience for business and consumer research.
Disclosure: This Methods Collection is co-edited by academic and industry experts. While iMotions is the only platform currently integrating multiple biometric modalities, this collection is not tied to any single software or company. Contributions are welcome from all labs and tools, provided they advance transparency and reproducibility.
Abstracts
Quantifying Physiological States Induced by Skincare Gestures: A Comparative Study of Heart Rate Variability and Subjective Emotional Experience
Gusang KWON*1,
Shirley SHI1,
Michelle DONG1,
David Morizet1
1Loreal R&I