PERSUASION SOCIAL INFLUENCE & COMPLIANCE GAINING Robert H. Gass & John S. Seiter

Chapter 15 Esoteric Persuasion

COLOR AND PERSUASION Color has symbolic meaning At birth, girls are wrapped in pink blankets, boys in blue Patriotic colors Executives wear “power “colors Fans identify with sports teams through color Jobs are categorized as “white collar,” “blue collar,” “green collar,” “pink collar,” etc. Colors have attitudinal associations In old westerns, good guys wear white hats, bad guys wear black Brides wear white to symbolize purity Red is associated with sexiness Black attire signifies formality Going “green” is trendy and eco-conscious

SEEING RED Attitudinal associations with the color red A red dress is associated with sexiness The “red pen” effect in grading papers Stereotypes about redheads or “gingers” Red is associated with danger, hazards, warnings A red cross symbolizes a hospital Subbotina Anna/Shutterstock.com; Lamai Prasitsuwan/Shutterstock.com

COLOR AND PERSUASION--continued Color and branding: trademarked colors are associated with specific brands Mac and white laptops McDonald’s golden arches Susan G. Komen foundation pink ribbon  Jarretera / Shutterstock.com

COLOR AND EMOTION We often equate colors with moods seeing red green with envy feeling blue tickled pink white as a sheet Ambient colors can affect moods, emotions Primary colors: bold, lively, energetic Pastels: calming, relaxing Warm colors; red, yellow, orange Cool colors; blue, green, purple xtock/Shutterstock.com

SUBLIMINAL INFLUENCE—historical background 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). Drink Coke Eat popcorn DR-images/Shutterstock.com

SUBLIMINAL INFLUENCE Types of subliminal messages Embedded images: pictures or words that are hidden or flashed quickly (in 100ths of a second) Sub-audible messages: sounds or words that are too faint to be heard, or are played at extremely high frequencies Electronically altered signals: backward masking and other voice alterations

METHODOLOGICAL CONCERNS Few if any studies have documented any lasting effects from subliminal stimuli Evidence to date suggests there is no commercial viability lack of control groups lack of double-blind procedures possibility of bias or cueing lack of replication lack of rigorous “blind” review

SUBLIMINAL PRIMING Subliminal priming has been well documented in controlled laboratory settings. Stimuli can be perceived or processed without conscious awareness. Priming can produce changes in beliefs, attitudes, and behavior. Commercial applications of subliminal priming have not been demonstrated. Flashing “Starbucks” will not make a consumer buy that brand of coffee.

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. Importance of prior need or drive

SUBAUDIBLE MESSAGES There is no proof that subaudible messages (too faint to hear) have any effects on behavior Claims of weight loss, higher esteem, etc. can be explained by the placebo effect

BACKWARD MASKING & REVERSE SPEECH There is no proof that reversed speech or “backward masked” recordings have any effect on behavior The mere presence of backward vocals on records does not prove their effectiveness

NEUROLINGUISTIC PROCESSING (NLP) NLP is touted by motivational speakers and self-help books Proponents claim that certain words possess nearly hypnotic power People supposedly rely on internal representations which favor one sense over another Words can appeal to visual, kinesthetic (tactile and visceral), auditory, olfactory, gustatory (taste) senses Claims made about NLP Representational systems can be “read” via nonverbal cues or “accessing cues” A person who looks up is relying on visual processing A person who looks horizontally is relying on auditory processing

NEUROLINGUISTIC PROCESSING (NLP) There is no evidence that certain words have a hypnotic effect on people The direction of a person’s gaze is not a reliable sign of his/her thinking process 7 out of 8 studies examining a link between information processing and eye movements found no evidence supporting NLP’s predictions (Witkowski, 2012, p. 36). “the vast majority of research studies have not supported either the fundamental tenets or the techniques of NLP” (Witkowski, 2012, p. 37)

MUSIC AND ITS INFLUENCE background music can affect shopping pace enhance moods improve task performance function as both a central and peripheral cue. Music is widely used in advertising. The mere exposure effect Repeated exposure to a novel stimulus, such as a jingle, increases liking for the stimulus. Music as a mnemonic device “Like a good neighbor________ is there” “break me off a piece of that _________ bar” background music affects mood, shopping behavior risk of habituation (desensitization)

FRAGRACES AND AMBIENT AROMAS The fragrance industry is selling romance in a bottle. Fragrances function as peripheral cues. Studies on the effectiveness of fragrances are mixed. Aromas have been shown to: alter moods improve task performance make shoppers linger in stores

HUMANS AND SMELL Odor “means” many things. It functions as: a sexual attractant a boundary-marker, distance maintainer a status symbol a method of identity management a cultural marker

CULTURE AND SMELL Preferences for smells are highly idiosyncratic, or individualized. There is probably no universal agreement on what smells good or bad Americans’ disdain for body odor cow dung as a hair care product in Africa Culture and social conditioning teach individuals what smells to like or dislike.

BACKGROUND FRAGRANCE AND PERSUASION Ambient aromas and consumer behavior (Crow, 1993) Nike shoe study Helping behavior Shoppers at a mall were twice as likely to help a stranger in the presence of pleasant odors like roasting coffee or baking cookies. Driving behavior A pleasant fragrance significantly reduced aggressive driving behavior compared to no fragrance. Medical applications of aroma Pleasant aromas can reduce anxiety and stress associated with medical tests MRIs, CAT scans, etc.)

FRAGRACES AND AMBIENT AROMAS Caveats and cautions Smell preferences are highly idiosyncratic. Overreliance on smells could produce desensitization. Smells may result in counter-conditioning (boomerang effect) Some people are sensitive to smells (allergies, gag reflexes, etc.)