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Website design decisions consider visual stimuli that have a significant impact on user behavior. We use evolutionary psychology as a theoretical lens for studying the effects of color and shapes on e-commerce websites. Referring to their evolutionary meaning, we derive hypotheses that are tested in a neuroimaging experiment utilizing functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). The self-report results reveal significantly more pleasure, arousal, less distrust, and positive attitude toward colored versus uncolored websites. Neural results reveal a deactivation in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) when comparing colored versus uncolored websites. Further, a significant deactivation in the left medial PFC areas and the left dlPFC is identified for the blue website. These results signify a cognitive relief for the use of color on websites in general, and for the use of blue in particular. For button shape, significant increases in the dorsomedial PFC, as well as in the right medial PFC areas, were identified for rounded shapes. These results signify users' preference toward interaction with rounded rather than sharp button shapes on websites. Altogether, the present study shows that neural mechanisms indicate how the meaning of website elements is still derived from their evolutionary meaning, and that users are not necessarily aware of this. • Evolutionary psychology provides a useful explanation for user perceptions of website design elements. • Colored websites are perceived more positive than uncolored websites. • Colored websites in general, but particularly blue websites, lead to a cognitive relief in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). • Rounded shapes on websites activate PFC areas associated with approach intentions. • Approach intentions to rounded shapes are only visible in neural activity, but not in self-reported data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies of gender-related differences in the perception of ecommerce websites dependent on the websites' aesthetics, usefulness, ease of use, and purchase intentions, give contradictory results. To shed light on these conflicting findings, in addition to self-reported data from two online questionnaires (Study 1 & Study 2), our research uses the neuroimaging method of functional near-infrared spectroscopy to explore possible gender-related differences (Study 3). By conducting three studies, users' conscious and unconscious (neural) evaluations of ecommerce websites are explored. The self-reported results reveal that men and women do not significantly differ in their expressed evaluations of ecommerce websites. However, the neural results indicate that gender-related differences in the perception of ecommerce websites are influenced by unconscious effects, which might explain the inconsistent gender-specific research findings. Men tend to require greater neural activity when using ecommerce websites. Websites evaluated as useful and visually aesthetic lead to significant neural activation in brain regions of the left hemisphere for men in comparison to women, whereas websites evaluated as less useful and appealing reveal neural activation in brain regions of the right hemisphere in male participants. The results provide several theoretical and practical implications for the evaluation of gender-specific decision making on ecommerce websites. • No gender-related differences are found in self-reported evaluations of the aesthetics and usefulness of ecommerce websites. • Neuropsychologically, men show increased neural activity in parts of the prefrontal cortex when using ecommerce websites. • For websites evaluated as aesthetic and useful, men show increased neural activity in the left dlPFC and vlPFC. • For websites evaluated as unaesthetic and less useful, men show increased neural activity in regions of the right mPFC. • Results show that neuropsychological measures provide insights into information processing differences between men and women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]