Take a moment to think about the term “subliminal messaging.” What comes to mind?
For many, it evokes concerns of covert manipulation. It’s often associated with advertisers, brands, or governments attempting to sway viewers' minds. So, let’s delve into this concept, exploring its mechanisms, limitations, and how our minds process information that might be below our conscious awareness.
What Is Subliminal Advertising?Subliminal vs. SupraliminalExamples of Subliminal AdvertisingConditions In Which Subliminal Messages WorkIs Subliminal Advertising Illegal?
What Is Subliminal Advertising?
Subliminal vs. Supraliminal
Examples of Subliminal Advertising
Conditions In Which Subliminal Messages Work
Is Subliminal Advertising Illegal?
The word “subliminal” refers to anything that happens below our threshold of consciousness. Such advertising attempts to reach the unconscious mind, with messages in these advertisements influencing thoughts, emotions, and buying decisions unbeknownst to the consumers. Given its potentially deceptive nature, subliminal advertising is banned in many countries.
a man watching TV
Attention Plays a Part in Subliminal vs. Supraliminal
Our minds have alotof stimuli to process. A lot. Think about all the conversations in a crowd or the sights you can visit at a museum. Sometimes, the stimuli that becomesupraliminalare those we intentionally pay attention to.
Let’s say the viewers are watching a movie. The movie flashes the word “Drink Coca-Cola”so fastthat viewers don’t recognize the change onscreen. These flashes last less than half a second.
Nonetheless, the viewers are more likely to buy Coca-Cola.
That’s a lot of popcorn and Coca-Cola for very little cost and a whole lot of manipulation.
Since then,manypeople have learned about (and believed in) the power of subliminal advertising. Companies have also attempted to use some form of subliminal messaging in their logos, commercials, and other types of media.
But here’s the thing. James Vicary’s experiment was a fraud. He was also never able to repeat his results after becoming famous for the 1957 experiment. In the scientific community, the efficacy of subliminal advertising has been the subject of much debate. According to a meta-analysis, the effect of subliminal priming is small to medium at best, with an effect size of d = 0.36. Moreover, most experiments that showed any effects revealed no lasting impact beyond a few minutes. A telling study from the Netherlands showed that when participants were exposed to subliminal messages about Lipton Ice, those who were thirsty were 80% more likely to choose Lipton Ice over another beverage when given a choice. This hints at the situational specificity of such effects.
Creativity and Subliminal Advertising
In 2008, a group of participants were tasked with coming up with uses for a brick. Before completing the task, they were “subliminally primed.” Rather than receiving direct orders from the researchers telling them to buy or eat the brick, the participants saw company logos. They were exposed to logos like Apple’s, back when the logo was rainbow and included the words “Think Different.” Other participants were exposed to Disney’s logo, Intel’s logo, or E!’s logo.
Researchers then observed how the participants completed the task. As it turns out, the " primed " participants with Apple’s logo were likelier to create creative and “different” responses.
George W. Bush’s Subliminal Advertising
Take this classic example of “subliminal” messaging. In 2000, George W. Bush’s campaign ran anattack adthat discussed Al Gore’s healthcare policies. The screen text says, “The Gore Prescription Plan: Bureaucrats decide.”
The campaign was accused of subliminal messaging. Before the full word of “Bureaucrats” appears on screen, “RATS” appears. It took a while for viewers to notice it - after all, the word “rats” only appears for 1/30th of a second. But I can guarantee you that you’ll know what I’m talking about if you watch the ad now.
We are likelier to see it when we focus on something or wait for it to appear on screen. (Of course, if you’ve watched my videos onChange BlindnessorInattentional Blindness,you know this can be manipulated, and our brains can always miss things.)
Of course, when Bush’s ads were first running, people weren’t looking out for the word “rats.” It’s possible to recognize stimuli without focusing on them or paying attention. But what does that say for our behavior? Can we not see the word “thirsty” but still reach for a glass of water?
I chose the word “thirsty” for a reason. A few studies have been done on subliminal advertising and drink choices. The words flashed on a screen prompted participants to choose a certain drink or drink more.
In some of these studies, subliminal advertising did work - butonlywhen the participants were already thirsty.
Similar Behavior Goals
There are two conditions in which subliminal advertising may work. The first condition is that the viewer, participant, etc., must already be aligned with the researchers' goals. If someone is already thinking about choosing a number, then subliminal messaging may prompt them to pick a certain number. If someone is thirsty, then subliminal messages about hydration, drinking, or specific soda brands may be effective. But if the subliminal messaging is completely “random,” it won’t work.
Vicary’s experimentcouldhave worked - if the viewers were already thinking about what snacks they wanted to buy after the movie. But most likely, it wouldn’t have worked anyway. There is a second condition that makes subliminal messaging effective. This condition has to do with timing.
Timing
Subliminal messaging experiments have only succeeded when the behavior or response quickly follows the messaging. Some studies have tracked whether a person’s behavior was influenced up to 10 days after exposure to subliminal messaging. They weren’t.
Unless you are prompted to decide immediately after seeing subliminal messaging that would influence your decision, you’re safe from any mind control.
There is a lot of time and stimuli that happen during a movie. They wouldn’t have worked if Vicary’s messages popped up during the final credits and the viewers were already hungry or thirsty.
Even though subliminal messaging sounds like something out of a dystopian novel, it is controlled and
Related posts:Advertising Psychologist (Salary + Duties + Interviews)Attention (Psychology Theories)Inattentional Blindness (Definition + Examples)Skinner’s Box Experiment (Behaviorism Study)Discrimination Stimulus
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Reference this article:Practical Psychology. (2020, March).Subliminal Advertising.Retrieved from https://practicalpie.com/subliminal-advertising/.Practical Psychology. (2020, March). Subliminal Advertising. Retrieved from https://practicalpie.com/subliminal-advertising/.Copy
Reference this article:
Practical Psychology. (2020, March).Subliminal Advertising.Retrieved from https://practicalpie.com/subliminal-advertising/.Practical Psychology. (2020, March). Subliminal Advertising. Retrieved from https://practicalpie.com/subliminal-advertising/.Copy
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