Neuromarketing Insights into Sensory Stimuli: A Study of Emotional Arousal and Buying Behavior

Abstract

Neuromarketing has emerged as a response to the declining persuasive power of traditional, cognition-centred marketing approaches, offering new ways to examine how consumers actually experience and respond to marketing stimuli. Within this broader shift, sensory marketing has gained prominence by emphasising how visual, auditory, olfactory, tactile, and gustatory cues shape affective reactions and behavioural outcomes. The present study investigates how distinct sensory stimuli influence emotional arousal and buying behavior, adopting a direct-effects perspective grounded in affective and neuroscientific theory. Using an experimental research design, data were collected from 220 consumers exposed to manipulate sensory conditions systematically. Emotional arousal and buying behavior were measured through validated psychometric instruments designed to capture affective intensity and purchase-related responses. Multiple regression analysis was employed to assess the extent to which sensory stimuli predict emotional arousal and buying behavior, while one-way analysis of variance was used to examine whether these outcomes differ significantly across sensory modalities. Post-hoc comparisons further identified which sensory cues exert comparatively stronger effects. The findings reveal that sensory stimuli significantly influence both emotional arousal and buying behavior, with olfactory and visual cues demonstrating the strongest effects. Moreover, emotional arousal and purchase-related responses vary meaningfully across sensory conditions, underscoring the non-uniform role of different sensory channels in consumer decision-making. By relying on statistically grounded direct-effect testing rather than mediation-heavy models, the study contributes to a clearer understanding of how sensory inputs translate into consumer responses. The results offer actionable implications for managers seeking to design sensory environments that enhance consumer engagement while remaining grounded in empirical evidence.