The science behind Implicit Reaction Speed (IRS) testing

There has been over 30 years of academic research in cognitive psychology on the use of implicit measures, including articles from academics, practitioners, and ‘gurus’ in the field. There is also a rapidly increasing number of academic papers on the predictive validity of the approach.

It is well established that much of what drives our behaviour goes on below our conscious awareness. An important implication of this is that if people can’t access the causes and hence explain their behaviour then why should we give them a questionnaire to complete?

An alternative is to bypass the need for conscious self-awareness and go in indirectly. This is where implicit testing comes in. We can measure how someone feels by presenting them with words and images and seeing how quickly they react. The so-called implicit association test and the affective priming test are two tests that have been extensively assessed and validated scientifically. These form the basis of what we do at Truthsayers.

It has been suggested that our emotions and the history of our personal experiences (which lie somewhere in the nonconsicous regions of our minds) tend to drive our decisions. We all know that we have these feelings – some people call them gut feelings, others call them intuitions, impulses, suspicions or something we just know. These feelings are very difficult access, all we know is that we like some things and dislike others. How we have come to like some things and why we like them are embedded too deeply in our nonconsicous. We find it very difficult to put those feelings into words.

Accessing these feelings requires specifically designed neuro-scientific tools and over the last 15 years the Truthsayers platform has developed the largest range of proprietary tools in the world to help clients access consumers’ non-conscious emotions and feelings. These tools help guide, amongst other areas, new product development, brand positioning, marketing and communication strategies, advertising, and creative campaigns.

Implicit response time tests are being used by many world leading brands to gain greater predictive insight into a very broad range of questions, including:

  • Which packaging design is most effective at signalling product benefits?
  • What are the components of a pack design that are crucial for identifying and recognizing the brand on shelf, amongst clutter?
  • What is the relative effectiveness of different media platforms for communicating specific messages?
  • How is my brand being perceived against competitors and how is it being perceived periodically throughout the year?
  • Which of several versions of copy will work best for my brand?
  • Which version of ad is going to work best for my brand?
  • Who is the most effective and plausible endorser for my product?
  • Which logo design do my customers prefer and which do prospects prefer?
  • What is my brand’s archetype?
Scroll to Top