Subliminal Messages

6 Pages 1602 Words

Almost all people are exposed to some kind of subliminal message everyday throughout life. They’re supposedly used in almost every advertisement around us. But just because they are being used, does that mean these messages really work? That they are actually retained in our minds altering behavior, even for long periods of time.
A subliminal message is an insufficiently intense message used to produce a discrete sensation by influencing one's mental process or behavior. Subliminal stimuli effect ones perception just below the threshold of consciousness. The theory behind subliminal stimuli is that human behavior can be controlled by messages that bypass conscious perception and operates directly on the unconscious, ultimately influencing ones behavior.
The use of subliminal stimuli in advertising scares many; yet this technique is frequently used as a desirable means of contacting, tinkering with, and some may even say manipulating people’s minds. Advertisers frequently use subliminal messages because they find them successful in helping to sell products. However, there are those advertisers who do not use them or believe in there ability. Some are convinced that subliminal advertising is a myth, and when selling an adequate product there is no reason to us such messages.
The actual term 'subliminal advertising' dates back to the 1950's and was coined by American market researcher, James Vicary. He claimed that he had “…discovered a way to reach people subliminally, by flashing advertising messages on a screen so briefly that although they weren't seen consciously they made the viewers do as suggested” (www.parascope.com/articles). Many people reacted skeptically when first hearing of the technique, asking, “what's the point of an ad you can't see?” (www.parascope.com/articles). Vicary then conducted a six week test run at a theater in Fort Lee, New Jersey that caused a noticeable increase in concession...