Sport and Cultural Events: Willingness to Pay, Facial Expressions and Skin Response

Abstract

The topic of this particular study is to combine facial expressions, skin response and willingness to pay (WTP) using an iMotions Platform. This software solution combines biosensors in human behaviour research. A useful method to estimate WTP is contingent valuation method (CV) (Mitchell and Carson 1989). The method has been widely used in cultural economics (Noonan 2003) and sport economics (Walker and Mondello 2007, Wicker et al. 2016a). CV method is made up of using surveys to elicit a willingness to pay for hypothetical changes in some good or service. Galvanic skin response (GSR), also known as electro dermal activity measures electrical activity conducted through sweat glands in the skin. It is an indication of the intensity of an emotion experienced (iMotions). GSR in an indication of stress (arousal of the sympathetic nervous system) in the body by appearing as continuous variation in the electrical characteristics of skin (De Brito and Mitchell 2019). Only joy and surprise are positively related to WTP, while the other emotions do no reveal anything. In addition, heart rate (GSR) and gender are significantly associated with WTP. Keywords: facial expressions, skin response, willingness to pay, sport events, cultural events