NEUROETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN NEUROMARKETING: A FRAMEWORK FOR RESPONSIBLE RESEARCH AND APPLICATION
Main Article Content
Khairul Putra
Lukmanul Hakim
Dahrul Aman Harahap
This article examines the neuroethical considerations associated with the growing use of neuromarketing in contemporary marketing practice. Advances in neuroscience and technologies such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), electroencephalography (EEG), and eye-tracking have enabled marketers to gain deeper insights into consumers’ subconscious responses. While these developments offer significant opportunities for improving marketing effectiveness, they also raise important ethical concerns related to consumer autonomy, privacy, and potential manipulation. Using a narrative literature review, this study synthesizes insights from marketing, neuroscience, and ethics to identify key ethical themes, including the protection of autonomy, risks of exploitation, data privacy, and the need for transparency and accountability. The article further explores neuroethical risks in practice, such as misuse of neural data and ethical issues involving vulnerable populations. Based on these findings, a neuroethical framework is proposed, grounded in the principles of autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice. This framework provides guidance for responsible research and application in neuromarketing. The study contributes by integrating ethical theory with marketing practice and offers practical implications for organizations seeking to adopt neuromarketing responsibly. Future research should focus on empirical validation and cross-cultural applications of the framework.
Aliyev, V. (2025). A literature review on neuromarketing techniques and applications. Studia Universitatis Moldaviae. Științe Economice Și Ale Comunicării. https://doi.org/10.59295/sum11(5)2025_06
Alsharif, A. H., Salleh, N. Z. Md., & Baharun, R. (2021). Neuromarketing: Marketing research in the new millennium. Neuroscience Research Notes. https://doi.org/10.31117/neuroscirn.v4i3.79
Alsharif, A. H., Salleh, N. Z. Md., Baharun, R., & Yusoff, M. (2021). Consumer Behaviour Through Neuromarketing Approach. The Journal of Contemporary Issues in Business and Government. https://doi.org/10.47750/CIBG.2021.27.03.048
Bhardwaj, S., Thapa, S. B., & Gandhi, A. (2024). Advances in neuromarketing and improved understanding of consumer behaviour: analysing tool possibilities and research trends. Cogent Business & Management. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2024.2376773
Bleier, A., Goldfarb, A., & Tucker, C. (2020). Consumer privacy and the future of data-based innovation and marketing. International Journal of Research in Marketing. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2020.03.006
Christensen, J. F., Farahi, F., Vartanian, M., & Yazdi, S. H. N. (2022). Choice Hygiene for “Consumer Neuroscientists”? Ethical Considerations and Proposals for Future Endeavours. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2021.612639
Ferrell, M. L., Beatty, A., & Dubljevic, V. (2025). The Ethics of Neuromarketing: A Rapid Review. Neuroethics, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12152-025-09591-8
Garofalo, C., & Gallucci, F. (2021). From marketing to neuromarketing: Ethical considerations. Applied Marketing Analytics. https://doi.org/10.69554/iija1927
Goncalves, M. V, Hu, Y., Aliagas, I., & Cerdá, L. M. (2024). Neuromarketing algorithms’ consumer privacy and ethical considerations: challenges and opportunities. Cogent Business & Management. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2024.2333063
Hayes, J. L., Brinson, N. H., Bott, G. J., & Moeller, C. M. (2021). The Influence of Consumer–Brand Relationship on the Personalized Advertising Privacy Calculus in Social Media. Journal of Interactive Marketing. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2021.01.001
Ichraq, F., Khalil, M. M. S., & Fatima, E. (2025). Ethics in Neuromarketing: Where Innovation Meets Responsibility. Global Journal of Economic and Finance Research. https://doi.org/10.55677/gjefr/06-2025-vol02e5
Lyu, D., & Mañas-Viniegra, L. (2021). Problemas éticos en la investigación con neuromarketing: una revisión de la literatura. https://doi.org/10.15178/VA.2021.154.E1351
Mouammine, Y., & Azdimousa, H. (2023). An overview of ethical issues in neuromarketing: Discussion and possible solutions. Marketing Science & Inspirations. https://doi.org/10.46286/msi.2023.18.4.3
Pluta-Olearnik, M., & Szulga, P. (2022). The Importance of Emotions in Consumer Purchase Decisions — A Neuromarketing Approach. Marketing of Scientific and Research Organizations. https://doi.org/10.2478/minib-2022-0010
Rahaman, S. U., Kumar, S., & Puchakayala, P. R. A. (2021). Neuromarketing Unlocked: Harnessing Brain Science to Decode Consumer Insights. International Journal of Computing and Engineering, 2(1), 26–37. https://doi.org/10.47941/ijce.2275
Sposini, L. (2024). Impact of New Technologies on Economic Behavior and Consumer Freedom of Choice: from Neuromarketing to Neuro-Rights. Journal of Digital Technologies and Law, 2(1), 74–100. https://doi.org/10.21202/jdtl.2024.5









