Abstract
Exploring the mechanisms underlying willingness to buy (WTB) will help us identify neural indicators for predicting the performance of innovative products. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we asked participants to view products created by combining two components, including high applicability new combinations (HANCs), which provide a novel and practical application; and low applicability new combinations (LANCs), which provide no additional value. First, we found that WTB generally involves activation of the parahippocampal gyrus. For HANC, activation in the pars opercularis of the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG oper) is associated with WTB. Second, representational similarity analysis revealed that for HANC, the interrelation between the elements and combinations in the IFG oper predicts WTB. Third, multivoxel pattern analysis found that classification accuracy in the IFG oper predicts the difference in WTB between HANCs and LANCs. In conclusion, WTB requires default mode network-based associative processing. For HANC products, executive control network-based processes are necessary for value construction.