Subliminal Influence
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Transcript Subliminal Influence
Subliminal Influence
Fact or Fiction?
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Public belief in subliminal
influence
75% of Americans believe that subliminal
messages are omnipresent in advertising,
and that they work (Rogers & Seiler,
1994).
Why?
◦ James Vicary’s alleged movie theater experiment
in 1957
◦ Wilson Brian Keys claims of planted images in
advertising
◦ Subliminals in Disney movies and other media
◦ Media spoofs of subliminals
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Allegations of subliminal influence
In the 2000 presidential
campaign, Republicans
ran a campaign ad that
included the
highlighted the word
“RATS” in the larger
word “DEMOCRATS.”
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Types of subliminal messages
1.
Embedded images: pictures or
words that are hidden or flashed
quickly (in 100ths of a second)
2.
Sub-audible messages: sounds or
words that are too faint to be heard,
or are played at extremely high
frequencies
3.
Electronically altered signals:
backward masking and other voice
alterations
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Definitions and
conceptualizations
Subliminal message
Supraliminal message
Below (sub) the
threshold (limen) of
human perception
A message that is
consciously recognized
and processed
◦ Example: a message
flashed so quickly that it
can’t be recognized.
◦ Example: an image so
faint that it is difficult to
see.
◦ Example: a sound played
so faintly that it can’t be
heard.
◦ Example: a sound that
is played quietly, yet is
still audible.
Embedding is a form of
subliminal influence.
Product placement is a
form of supraliminal
influence.
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supraliminal, not subliminal
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The early years: An urban
myth is born
James Vicary claimed to have
flashed the words “eat popcorn” and
“Drink Coca-Cola” on a movie
screen.
He claimed popcorn sales increased
58% and Coke sales increased 18%.
Vicary’s experiment was never
successfully replicated.
He later acknowledged the study
was a hoax (Advertising Age, 1962).
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Why the fascination?
The prospect of “mind
control” is frightening.
It’s fun to entertain
conspiracy theories.
The popular press
sensationalizes the
issue.
There are just enough
isolated cases to keep
the myth alive.
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Embedded text and images
Wilson Brian Keys
claimed to have found
phallic symbols in ads
for:
◦ Tanqueray gin
The mere existence of
subliminal images, does
not demonstrate their
effectiveness.
◦ Chivas Regal
◦ Ritz crackers
◦ Betty Crocker cake mix
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Embedding in a liquor ad
Can you find the
embedded text in this
Gilbey’s Gin ad?
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More embedding in liquor ads
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Disney embedding
Jessica (sans
underwear?) in
Who Framed
Roger Rabbit
It is much more
likely that this was
a prank by a “cell
painter” than a
corporate
conspiracy
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More Disney embedding
The Little Mermaid
◦ A circumsized
sandcastle?
◦ The artist who painted
this scene claimed the
resemblance to a phallic
symbol was
unintentional
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And more…
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Methodological
shortcomings
lack of control groups
lack of double-blind
procedures
possibility of bias or cueing
lack of replication
lack of rigorous “blind”
review
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Product placement (a.k.a.
product planting)
Product placement is commonplace.
Product placement is a form of
supraliminal persuasion.
Product placement may be subtle, but
it is not subliminal.
The brand’s sponsors want viewers to
recognize their brands.
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Product placement in action
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Subliminal priming
Subliminal priming has
been well documented in
controlled laboratory
settings.
◦ Stimuli can be perceived
or processed without
conscious awareness.
Commercial applications of
subliminal priming have not
been demonstrated.
◦ Flashing “Starbucks” will
not make a consumer buy
that brand of coffee.
Priming can produce
changes in beliefs,
attitudes, and behavior.
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Subliminal priming
Priming occurs when a
word is flashed quickly,
then masked or covered
up.
The primed word is
shown too quickly to be
consciously recognized.
The mask is removed
and subjects see how
quickly they recognize
the word.
Subjects who are
primed recognize the
word faster than
subjects who are not
primed.
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SALT
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A sample subliminal
priming study
Patton (1992) exposed “normal” and
“bulimia prone” females to one of three
subliminal messages:
◦ A. “Mama is leaving me” (Separation anxiety
message)
◦ B. “Mona is loaning it”
◦ C. “Mama is loaning it”
Afterward, the females were invited to
participate in a taste-test involving
crackers.
The “bulimia prone” females who were
exposed to message A ate twice as many
crackers as the females in the other two
groups.
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Cautions regarding subliminal
priming effects
The effects of priming are short-lived.
The subliminal prime must still be
perceived, even if perception is without
awareness.
There is no proof of commercial
viability.
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Final thoughts
If you stare at clouds long enough,
you will “see” something.
Beware of the fallacy that “presence”
implies “effectiveness.”
Even in controlled laboratory
settings, subliminal effects tend to
be weak and transitory.
Difficulty of proving a negative (e.g.
that there aren’t subliminals
everywhere)
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