A Scoping Review: The Role of the Prefrontal Cortex and Corpus Callosum in Consumer Decision-Making Under Dynamic Visual Colour Stimuli

Abstract

Background: Consumer decision-making is increasingly understood through neuroscientific frameworks, yet the specific roles of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and corpus callosum (CC) in processing dynamic visual color stimuli remain unclear. Understanding these mechanisms has significant implications for product design, particularly in emerging categories such as health-oriented foods.
Objective: To systematically map the existing literature on prefrontal and interhemispheric contributions to value-based consumer decision-making, with particular focus on how dynamic and attractive color stimuli influence neural valuation processes.
Methods: A scoping review was conducted following the Arksey and O'Malley framework and PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A systematic search was performed across PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science from inception to March 2026.
Results: The evidence maps across three domains:
(1) The ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) serves as a central hub for integrating multi-attribute value signals into a "common currency" for decision-making ;
(2) The lateral prefrontal cortex (lPFC) mediates goal-directed attention to relevant stimulus attributes ;
(3) Color stimuli influence purchase intention through pathways involving trust, perceived safety, and emotional preference, with distinct neural correlates in frontal and visual processing regions .
Critical gap: Direct evidence for corpus callosum involvement in interhemispheric color-value integration remains sparse, with most inferences drawn from connectivity studies rather than direct interventional research .
Conclusion: The PFC, particularly vmPFC, plays a well-established role in value-based consumer choice. Color influences purchase decisions through both automatic attention capture and higher-order cognitive evaluation. There is a scope in future research to directly investigate corpus callosum contributions towards cross-hemispheric integration of color and value signals