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Coffee and tea are two of the most popular beverages in the world and have been consumed for more than a thousand years. They have become an integral part of the day for many consumers and may aid not only increased social interactions but also productivity. However, there is no conclusive evidence of their comparative effect on cognitive ability. This study investigated the impact of tea and coffee products on cognitive performance in typical office work-related tasks using brain, body, and behavioral measures. In a controlled multi-day study, we explored the effects of both traditional and cognition-enhancing hot beverages through task performance and self-reported measures. A total of 120 participants completed three work-related tasks from different cognitive domains and consumed either a traditional or cognition-enhancing hot beverage. During the study, we measured brain activity in the prefrontal cortex using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) as well as arousal from skin conductance through electrodermal activity (EDA) while participants completed cognitive tasks and consumed the beverages. Neural efficiency was used to evaluate cognitive performance in the tasks. Neural efficiency was calculated from a composite score of behavioral efficiency and cognitive effort, and emotional arousal was estimated from EDA activity. Results indicated that for different cognitive domains, the enhanced hot beverages showed improved neural efficiency over that of a traditional hot beverage. This is the first study to assess the impact of both traditional and cognition-enhancing drinks using a multimodal approach for workplace-related assignments.

Neuroergonomics is an emerging field that investigates the human brain in relation to behavioral performance in natural environments and everyday settings. This study investigated the body and brain activity correlates of a typical daily activity, hot beverage preparation, and consumption in a realistic office environment where participants performed natural daily tasks. Using wearable, battery operated and wireless Electroencephalogram (EEG) and Electrodermal activity (EDA) sensors, neural and physiological responses were measured in untethered, freely moving participants who prepared hot beverages using two different machines (a market leader and follower as determined by annual US sales). They later consumed the drinks they had prepared in three blocks. Emotional valence was estimated using frontal asymmetry in EEG alpha band power and emotional arousal was estimated from EDA tonic and phasic activity. Results from 26 participants showed that the market-leading coffee machine was more efficient to use based on self-reports, behavioral performance measures, and there were significant within-subject differences in valence between the two machine use. Moreover, market leader user interface led to greater self-reported product preference, that was further supported by significant differences in measured arousal and valence (EDA and EEG respectively) during coffee production and consumption. This is the first study that uses a multimodal and comprehensive assessment of coffee machine use and beverage consumption in a naturalistic work environment. Approaches described in this study can be adapted in the future to other task-specific machine usability and consumer neuroscience studies.

Math anxiety is a problem that faces most people in their everyday life. Past research suggests that math anxiety can lead consumers to make errors in numerical computations. In this study, we utilized brain-based measures for the assessment of math anxiety in relationship to price perceptions. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) from the prefrontal cortex was measured to determine differences in responses between high and low math anxiety participants. Participants performed two tasks under load and no-load conditions performing math calculations in relation to a price promotion. Preliminary results indicate that there is a performance difference between low and high math anxiety participants in both oxygenated hemoglobin results and behavioral performance. This study outlines a new method for determining how math anxiety affects consumers’ decisions regarding prices.

Research suggests that usability of a machine affects consumers’ preference for the machine. However, there is no research available to explain if evaluation of a product prepared using that machine, is likely to be impacted by the usability of the machine. In a controlled study using three trials, participants prepared hot beverages using two different beverage machines that also differed in their usability. In all three trials, machine usability, participants’ drink selections and evaluations of hot drinks prepared on the machines were measured. Our results indicate that machine usability influences consumers’ preference for the products prepared on these machines.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease that causes loss of motor neurons and progressive weakness including loss of speech. The use of a brain computer interface (BCI) can enable communication and increase quality of life but to date the effects of mental fatigue have been ignored. Mental fatigue due to prolonged BCI use can reduce the accuracy and increase the response time which leads to a decrease in the utility and usability of the BCI. This study is aimed to investigate biomarkers for electrophysiological and hemodynamic correlates of mental fatigue in a controlled experiment with ALS patients and healthy participants. These preliminary results indicated that EEG and fNIRS based biomarkers can be used to capture neurophysiological changes due to prolonged BCI use.