Subliminal Messages Essay Research Paper Subliminal Messages

Subliminal Messages Essay, Research Paper

Subliminal Messages in Advertising: The Case For

and Against Lisa Caswell Syracuse University

Running Head: Subliminal Messages Subliminal

messaging and subliminal perception are

controversial topics in the field of psychology.

Many studies have been conducted to determine if

subliminal messaging does in fact work. Many

people think that subliminal messages in the field of

advertising are much more successful than

subliminal messages for self-improvement, such as

tapes sold to help the consumer lose weight, gain

intelligence, or do something else to improve

themselves simply by listening to a tape. Subliminal

advertising can be defined as "embedding material

in print, audio, or video messages so faintly that

they are not consciously perceived." Rogers and

Smith (1993) surveyed 400 households. When

asked if they believed advertisers deliberately

included subliminal messages, 61.5% responded

‘yes’. A 72.2% ‘yes’ answer was obtained when

asked if subliminal advertisements were effective.

Based on these results, it can be concluded that

consumers are aware of subliminal advertising, and

believe it is effectively used by advertisers to

influence their decisions. The term "sub-threshold

effects," first popularized by Packard in 1957,

preceded the popular notion of "subliminal

advertising," whose originator is James Vicary.

Subliminal advertising first came to the public’s

attention in 1957 when Jim Vicary conducted a

subliminal advertising strategy of interspersing

"drink Coca-Cola" and "eat popcorn" messages

on a movie screen so quickly that they could not

be seen consciously by the audience. His research

initially reported increases in the sales of both

Coca-Cola and popcorn as a result of the

subliminal messages. Later, however, when he

was challenged and could not replicate or even

produce the results, Vicary admitted that the

results of the initial study had been fabricated

(Weir, 1984). Key (1989) has more recently

claimed that hidden or embedded messages are

widespread and effective. Key’s theories have

been widely discredited by scholars who have

examined marketing applications scientifically

(Moore, 1982). Although a few scholarly studies

have reported certain limited effects of exposure

to subliminal stimuli in laboratory settings

(Greenwald, Klinger, and Liu, 1989), most

academic researchers on the subject have

reported findings which indicate no practical or

predictable effect in an advertising setting (Dixon,

1971). The 1957 Vicary study has been largely

disregarded in the scholarly community due to lack

of scientific documentation of methodology and

failure to replicate. However, scholarly findings

and industry assertions may have had little or no

effect on the average American, who has been

exposed to popular articles and books promoting

the notion that subliminal advertising is used and is

effective. In addition, Americans have been

exposed to advertisements claiming that self-help

audio-tapes and videotapes containing subliminal

materials can help the purchaser with weight loss,

better relationships, an improved golf game,

quitting smoking, and even birth control.

Awareness of Subliminal Messaging by the Public

Many in the public are aware of the term

"subliminal advertising," understand the basics of

the concept, and believe it not only is used by

advertisers but is also successful in influencing

brand and purchase choice. Shortly after the

Vicary study was brought to the public’s attention

(Brean, 1958), Haber (1959) sought to discern

"exactly what the public believes about subliminal

advertising when so little factual information is

available." Results of this study determined that 41

percent of 324 respondents had heard of

subliminal advertising, and although half believed it

to be "unethical," 67 percent stated that they

would still watch a television program even if they

believed subliminal messages were embedded in

the commercials. Two decades later, a survey of

209 adults conducted by Zanot, Pincus, and Lamp

(1983) reported double the awareness levels of

the Haber study. The Zanot survey concluded that

81 percent had heard of subliminal advertising and

that "respondents believe that subliminal

advertising is widely and frequently used and that it

is successful in selling products." The same survey

determined that educational level is the

demographic variable most highly correlated with

awareness of subliminal advertising; the more