New Neuroscience Study: Haptics Intensifies Emotions, Increases Engagement, Memorability

According to a neuroscience study commissioned by Immersion Corp. (NASDAQ:IMMR), people exposed to video content on smartphones had more positive reactions, higher engagement, and increased recall ability when the mobile content was enhanced with haptics, i.e., touch technology. Although results showed the impact of touch effects incorporated into video, mobile games, user interfaces, and other applications benefit from haptics as well.

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New Neuroscience Study: Haptics Intensifies Emotions, Increases Engagement, Memorability (Graphic: Business Wire)

The study found that applying haptics was highly effective at shifting one’s attention to a more emotionally compelling environment compared to relying solely on visual and audio elements of the mobile content. Haptics intensified emotions and made an experience more exciting. For example, when watching a mobile video of a powerful car zooming by, users felt the exhilarating whoosh as the car accelerated across the screen. The addition of haptics integrated with the car’s movement elicited greater brain activation.

When evaluating brain reactions, researchers found that mobile content with haptics:

• Was perceived as being more approachable and persuasive
• Elicited an average of 8% greater motivation than mobile content without haptics
• Prompted 18% higher quality rating, on average, for featured products
• Resulted in an average 40% increase in recalling visuals compared to non-haptic scenarios

"The study showed a remarkably strong case for haptics’ ability to increase the appeal and interest of content by making the experience more life-like,” said Sanya Attari, Manager of UX Research at Immersion. "Touch provides a more engaging, positive memory of an experience versus just seeing or hearing something in a video. Beyond the smartphone, we believe the results are extendable to other haptic use cases on any form of hand-held device.”

Study Finds Haptics Enable Positive, Long-Lasting Emotional Experiences

In partnership with Immersion, researchers from True Impact Marketing, a Toronto-based neuroscience research firm, set out to discover whether haptic treatments applied to video had more favorable or adverse effects on participants. In addition, they sought to determine what kind of touch effects would enable positive and long-lasting emotional experiences.

Using video as the medium to help create a familiar setup for study participants and make it easier to test various type of experiences, researchers analyzed a wide spectrum of participants’ brain activity when exposed to different levels of haptic technology. They used neuroscience and biometrics to evaluate consumers’ responses to content, comparing their emotional responses to material enhanced with haptics versus that without haptics.

For more information about the neuroscience study, visit: https://www.immersion.com/the-human-brain-new-study-shows-haptic-exposure-generates-positive-emotion/.

About Immersion

Immersion Corporation (NASDAQ: IMMR) is the leading innovator of touch feedback technology, also known as haptics. The company provides technology solutions for creating immersive and realistic experiences that enhance digital interactions by engaging users’ sense of touch. With more than 3,000 issued or pending patents, Immersion's technology has been adopted in more than 3 billion digital devices, and provides haptics in mobile, automotive, gaming, medical and consumer electronics products. Immersion is headquartered in San Jose, California with offices worldwide. Learn more at www.immersion.com.

About True Impact

Established in 2012 in Toronto, Canada, True Impact is a leading consumer neuroscience research and strategy firm that enables successful acquisition and retention marketing strategies. The next generation of market research, non-conscious measurement or neuromarketing research offers objective insights into customer emotion. Understanding emotion is the first step into creating experiences that are relevant and memorable. Our team of academics, marketers and designers approaches each project with the end goal in mind. We deliver insights that are simple, clear and never-before-seen. Upon aligning with marketing and corporate objectives, we identify the gap in customer understanding, propose an unbiased research approach and connect the dots for a full 360 degree understanding of the customer. For more information, visit https://trueimpact.ca/.

Forward-looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions that, if they never materialize or prove incorrect, could cause the results of Immersion Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

All statements, other than the statements of historical fact, are statements that may be deemed forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the statement that haptics is highly effective at shifting a user’s attention; that haptics intensifies a user’s emotions and makes an experience more exciting; that haptics can increase the appeal and interest of content; that touch provides a more engaging, positive memory of an experience; and that the results of the neuroscience study are extendable to other haptic use cases on any form of hand-held device.

Immersion's actual results might differ materially from those stated or implied by such forward-looking statements due to risks and uncertainties associated with Immersion's business, which include, but are not limited to: unanticipated difficulties and challenges encountered in product development efforts by Immersion and its licensees; unanticipated difficulties and challenges encountered in implementation efforts by Immersion's licensees; unanticipated difficulties and challenges encountered in obtaining issued patents; adverse outcomes in any future intellectual property-related litigation and the costs related thereto; the effects of the current macroeconomic climate; delay in or failure to achieve adoption of or commercial demand for Immersion's products or third party products incorporating Immersion's technologies; and a delay in or failure to achieve the acceptance of touch feedback as a critical user experience. The results of the neuroscience study described in this press release may not predict results for individuals or for groups of consumers that were not a part of the study. Many of these risks and uncertainties are beyond the control of Immersion.

For a more detailed discussion of these factors, and other factors that could cause actual results to vary materially, interested parties should review the risk factors listed in Immersion's most current Form 10-K, and Form 10-Q, both of which are on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements in this press release reflect Immersion's beliefs and predictions as of the date of this release. Immersion disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements as a result of financial, business, or any other developments occurring after the date of this release. Immersion and the Immersion logo are trademarks of Immersion Corporation in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

(IMMR - C)

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