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Neuromarketing: Ethical Implications of its Use and Potential Misuse

Publication ,  Journal Article
Stanton, SJ; Sinnott-Armstrong, W; Huettel, SA
Published in: Journal of Business Ethics
September 1, 2017

Neuromarketing is an emerging field in which academic and industry research scientists employ neuroscience techniques to study marketing practices and consumer behavior. The use of neuroscience techniques, it is argued, facilitates a more direct understanding of how brain states and other physiological mechanisms are related to consumer behavior and decision making. Herein, we will articulate common ethical concerns with neuromarketing as currently practiced, focusing on the potential risks to consumers and the ethical decisions faced by companies. We argue that the most frequently raised concerns—threats to consumer autonomy, privacy, and control—do not rise to meaningful ethical issues given the current capabilities and implementation of neuromarketing research. But, we identify how potentially serious ethical issues may emerge from neuromarketing research practices in industry, which are largely proprietary and opaque. We identify steps that can mitigate associated ethical risks and thus reduce the threats to consumers. We conclude that neuromarketing has clear potential for positive impact on society and consumers, a fact rarely considered in the discussion on the ethics of neuromarketing.

Duke Scholars

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Published In

Journal of Business Ethics

DOI

EISSN

1573-0697

ISSN

0167-4544

Publication Date

September 1, 2017

Volume

144

Issue

4

Start / End Page

799 / 811

Related Subject Headings

  • Applied Ethics
  • 5001 Applied ethics
  • 2201 Applied Ethics
  • 1505 Marketing
  • 1503 Business and Management
 

Citation

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Stanton, S. J., Sinnott-Armstrong, W., & Huettel, S. A. (2017). Neuromarketing: Ethical Implications of its Use and Potential Misuse. Journal of Business Ethics, 144(4), 799–811. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-016-3059-0
Stanton, S. J., W. Sinnott-Armstrong, and S. A. Huettel. “Neuromarketing: Ethical Implications of its Use and Potential Misuse.” Journal of Business Ethics 144, no. 4 (September 1, 2017): 799–811. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-016-3059-0.
Stanton SJ, Sinnott-Armstrong W, Huettel SA. Neuromarketing: Ethical Implications of its Use and Potential Misuse. Journal of Business Ethics. 2017 Sep 1;144(4):799–811.
Stanton, S. J., et al. “Neuromarketing: Ethical Implications of its Use and Potential Misuse.” Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 144, no. 4, Sept. 2017, pp. 799–811. Scopus, doi:10.1007/s10551-016-3059-0.
Stanton SJ, Sinnott-Armstrong W, Huettel SA. Neuromarketing: Ethical Implications of its Use and Potential Misuse. Journal of Business Ethics. 2017 Sep 1;144(4):799–811.
Journal cover image

Published In

Journal of Business Ethics

DOI

EISSN

1573-0697

ISSN

0167-4544

Publication Date

September 1, 2017

Volume

144

Issue

4

Start / End Page

799 / 811

Related Subject Headings

  • Applied Ethics
  • 5001 Applied ethics
  • 2201 Applied Ethics
  • 1505 Marketing
  • 1503 Business and Management