Companies pour millions of dollars into advertising every year, using
television, radio, print ads, and other media to convince you to buy their
products. Although many people claim to be unaffected by advertising,
scientific research shows that ads can be powerful incentives to think more
favorably about a brand or product. One popular advertising technique is the
use of subliminal images which appear below your threshold of conscious
awareness. Although you are totally oblivious to the subliminal stimulus, it
still has the power to affect your thoughts and feelings.
Subliminal Messages: The Basics
A subliminal message is any type of stimulus that passes below conscious
awareness. Most commonly, these are images or sounds. The purpose of a
subliminal image is to embed a brand name, product, or other stimulus in the
viewer's mind without his/her conscious awareness. Although the concept of
using subliminal images was formulated in the early 20th century, it
exploded following a 1957 ad campaign conducted by James Vicary.
During a movie showing, Vicary presented images every five seconds that said
"Hungry? Eat Popcorn" or "Drink Coca-Cola." Each image lasted 1/3000th of a
second and remained unnoticed by viewers; however, popcorn and Coca-Cola
sales shot up. The downside of this example is that it was a hoax and never
happened, the interesting thing is that this concept is now considered an
archaic old school process for tapping into the unconscious mind and mind
science has evolved one hundred fold since this publicity stunt.
Although subliminal messaging can be put to use in a negative way by
allowing advertisers to influence consumers without their knowledge, it can
also have positive effects. Presentation of subliminal images and audio
messages is often used in weight loss or smoking cessation programs. Dozens
of research studies have explored the power of subliminal images to change
thoughts and behaviors.
Scientific Research
Central to the use of subliminal images is the concept of priming. Priming
refers to a phenomenon in which exposure to a stimulus influences later
behavior patterns. For example, briefly flashing a smiley face before
presenting a neutral word (e.g., "food") increases the likelihood that you
will rate the word as being positive. A briefly flashed sad face has the
opposite effect.
A 2009 study in the journal Emotion presented positive or negative words so
briefly that participants were not consciously aware of them. The
participants were then asked to categorize the words as positive or
negative. They performed better than chance, correctly labeling 66% of
negative words. This experiment demonstrates the effect subliminal images
may have on emotion.
A review article published in Neuroimage in 2012 found that subliminal
stimuli increase brain activity in the amygdala, hippocampus, anterior
cingulate, and other brain areas associated with emotional processing and
memory. Other studies supporting the effectiveness of subliminal images have
been published in Consciousness and Cognition and Brain and Cognition.
Major Uses of Subliminal Images
Corporate Advertisements
One of the most common uses of subliminal images is in corporate advertising
campaigns. Coke, Camel cigarettes, Sprite, McDonalds, and other major
corporations have made use of this technique. The FCC forbids the use of
briefly flashed subliminal images in radio or TV programming, saying that it
is "inconsistent with a station's obligation to serve the public interest."
In a 1984 hearing in a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee, the Hon.
Dan Glickman noted that subliminal communication technology poses "serious
moral, ethical, and legal" problems that merit a closer look. The United
Nations agreed, labeling the use of subliminal images "a major threat to
human rights.
"One popular legal technique using subliminal images is product placement,
in which a brand name is surreptitiously placed into a movie or scenario
that is not clearly an advertisement. For example, Carrie Bradshaw in Sex
and the City spends hours typing on her Apple computer; this is a classic
example of using subliminal images to influence consumer behavior.
Military and Government
During World War II, the U.S. Air Force used subliminal images to improve
pilot recognition of friendly vs. enemy aircraft. They briefly flashed the
images at a level below conscious awareness and corrected pilots' answers
until they were able to correctly identify enemy planes.
More sinister uses of subliminal messaging have occurred during wartime.
Propaganda posters often used subliminal images to drum up support for the
war effort. For example, Nazi posters subtly portrayed Hitler in a
conquering warrior or messianic pose, leading Germans to think of him as a
savior from evil. Communist countries have also used this technique in
propaganda posters, using subliminal images to boost the popular image of a
dictator.
Despite concerns about the ethical issues surrounding the use of subliminal
images, they remain a commonly used technique in the private and government
sectors. Certain forms of subliminal messaging are forbidden by the FCC, but
subtle imagery designed to influence consumer behavior remains widespread.
Subliminal images have the power to do good by increasing motivation or
boosting self-esteem as well as the power to do immense harm by supporting
totalitarian regimes or undermining free will. Becoming aware of the use of
subliminal images is a strong step toward becoming a savvy consumer.
my motto is "Keep it simple" and "don't leave anything for tomorrow that can
be done today."
If you have any questions or comments please contact me.
Regards Gerald
Website: http://www.webcraft.ws
E-mail: gerald@webcraft.ws
Twitter: WebcraftGuru
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