Cognitive Marketing & Insights

Electoral and Public Policy Research with Implicit Neuroscience

Voters do not always respond candidly in self-reported surveys — because of self-censorship, social-desirability pressures, or limited awareness of their own automatic reactions. Our methodology complements traditional research by capturing these reactions before conscious filtering.

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🎯 What we offer

Implicit association test

We assess underlying perceptions of candidates, parties, and issues by capturing automatic reactions that voters may not express directly.

Public policy analysis

We understand how the population truly perceives and reacts to new policies, bills, or government initiatives.

Complement to surveys

Our data do not replace traditional quantitative research; they complement it with a deeper view of emotional drivers.

Transparency Notice

Implicit research is not an electoral forecasting tool (like a voting intention poll). It is an additional strategic data point that reveals why voters feel what they feel, helping to adjust campaign tone, identify hidden rejections, and test messages before they air.

📊 Practical Applications

Our solutions are ideal for:

  • Assessing public policy acceptance before launch
  • Analyzing perception of candidates and political leaders
  • Electoral research with neuroscientific depth
  • More effective government communication aligned with real perceptions

🏆 Real Case: Manaus Elections 2020

Challenge Context

Municipal election of 2020 in Manaus marked by inequality and social dissatisfaction. The electorate was largely made up of lower-income socioeconomic groups in Brazil’s classification system, with a high share of undecided voters. The team needed to understand voters' automatic perceptions.

Objective

Evaluate the implicit acceptance of political attributes associated with the main candidates. Measure the emotional strength of associations between names and qualifiers.

Methodology

Two waves of the Implicit Priming Test (IPT): before and during electoral advertising. Measurement of reaction times in milliseconds — System 1 (unconscious).

Electoral Result

David Almeida was elected mayor with approximately 51.24% of the valid votes. The implicit research provided an additional perspective on the patterns observed during the campaign.

Finding 1

Amazonino Mendes: Shows a meaningful early signal, but loses clear traction in Wave 2 — an indication of fatigue and a risk of reduced competitiveness.

Finding 2

Ricardo Nicolau: An emerging signal of renewal, still limited but with potential to grow if that attribute were developed consistently.

Finding 3

David Almeida: A predominantly neutral profile, without strong associations — a low-rejection scenario that still required deliberate strategic differentiation.

🔍 Differentiators

Unlike traditional surveys, our methodology:

  • ✓ Designed to reduce response bias and social-desirability effects
  • ✓ Captures automatic associations that self-reported surveys can miss
  • ✓ Provides actionable insight for public-sector communications and campaign strategy
  • ✓ Monitors perception changes over time

⚖️ Compliance and Ethics

🔒 Regulatory Compliance

All procedures strictly follow Brazilian electoral rules and international political research regulations.

✅ Methodological Transparency

Registration with competent bodies, independent audit available, and full transparency in the process.

🔐 Total Confidentiality

Data are always anonymized, results are delivered in aggregate form, with informed consent.

📋 Data Protection (LGPD)

Data processing strictly follows the Brazilian General Data Protection Law (LGPD).

Want to understand how your campaign or policy issue is perceived beneath the surface?

Discover voters' automatic reactions before the rational filter.

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