Perception: Subliminal Stimulation – Module 11 Intro Psych Sep 25-28, 2009 Classes #13-14

Perception Traditional definition: Some contemporary views: The active mental process of organizing and interpreting our sensations Some contemporary views: Active mental process? Conscious and unconscious processes may be involved

How do we organize the perceptual world? Bottom-up processing Perceptions influenced by the visual field itself Can be referred to as “true object” perceptions – making sense from our sensations Top-down processing These perceptions are influenced by what the person expects or has experienced before Our experiences memories, and expectations are what's important here

Psychophysics Psychophysics Absolute thresholds The relationship between physical energy in the environment and our psychological experience of that energy Absolute thresholds The minimum detectable amount of light, sound, pressure, or other physical energy Signal Detection Theory Predicts how and when we detect the presence of faint stimuli

Signal Detection Theory Signal Present Signal Absent "Present" Hit False Alarm Observer Response "Absent" Miss Correct Rejection

Types of Stimulation Supraliminal stimuli Stimuli we are aware of Subliminal Stimulation This is below threshold stimuli which without our awareness is believed by many to have extraordinary suggestive powers… Its presented so faintly or briefly or with strong distracters that we do not perceive it consciously – yet it can influence our behavior…maybe!

Subliminal Stimulation New Jersey (1957) movie theatre Eat popcorn Drink Coca-Cola 1980’s: The subliminal controversy starts all over again… Erotic images Satanic messages Audio tapes

Subliminal Stimulation Examples Walt Disney Films Are veiled, naughty messages being sent to viewers???

Walt Disney Films: The Little Mermaid and The Lion King

Subliminal Stimulation Examples Judas Priest trial In 1985, the British heavy metal band was taken to court by the parents of two boys who had committed suicide after listening to a song that contained the words “do it” They sought $6.2 million

Federal Express uses this one…

Tickle ad…

Newport ad…

This is an image that ran in the phone book until they found out that it is a little unusual…

The Pepsi “Cool Can”

Even on money??? Check out the palm tress to the right

Beer commercial with wood chips...

Feel the curves???

Three letters appear to be hidden in the tall building...

"S" skittle seems to be strategically inserted next to the word "eXplosion"

These are pretty obvious…

Do they use this at Walmart??? Time magazine (1984) 50 department stores in the U.S. and Canada installed a device in attempts to reduce shoplifting and employee theft One undisclosed East Coast chain is said to have cut the number of thefts by 37%, for a savings of $600,000, during a nine-month trial Behind the background music played in stores, there's a subliminal anti-theft message, "I am honest, I will not steal," being played 9,000 times an hour

Is subliminal perception persuasive? Psychologists say no… Greenwald, Pratkins, Aronson, Eskenazi (1992) Studied the effects of subliminals on self-help tapes attempting to increase memory retention and self-esteem Participants put into one of four groups: Group 1: Memory/Memory Group 2: Memory/ Self-Esteem Group 3: Self-Esteem/Self-Esteem Group 4: Self-Esteem/Memory They found no changes but subjects reported improvements… How would a researcher explain these results???  

The “No one loves me “ experiment… Greenwald and Draine (1996) Experiment 1: “No one loves me” is shown subliminally Undergrads showed “mild discomfort” Experiment 2: Slightly higher % picked words shown subliminally In both experiments, results were inconclusive (not statistically significant)

Is subliminal perception persuasive? Advertisers: yes Psychologists: no Vicary and Key: Look at the increased sales…. Consumers: For the most part seem to agree Psychologists: Its probably for another reason that you overlooked Our experiments show no significant results There are major flaws in your studies…what are these??? Advertisers: Don’t tell us about flaws? Your so-called academic research is "meaningless“ Using College Psych students is not a representative sample and Experimenter Bias is also a problem in your studies

The typical course… Someone (usually an advertiser) claims to have found an effect Someone else (usually an experimental psychologist) attempts to replicate it Replication fails miserably Original finding is then criticized on methodological grounds But, nevertheless the original claim is publicized and gains acceptance by lay audiences

Is subliminal perception persuasive? Key (1980, 1990) The advertising industry is using subliminals to manipulate the public –often the messages concentrate on taboos of society – sex, death, homosexuality, incest, etc “And they work more often than they fail”

But, its in your psychology textbooks??? Bornstein (1989) Its not a question of whether they work or not, it’s a question of “how did these implausible ideas ever acquire such an undeserved mantle of scientific respectability?”

Credits http://www.artistmike.com/Temp/SubliminalAd.html