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5.
PART III: PERSUASION IN AMERICAN SOCIETY
CHAPTER 11: ADVERTISING
Chapter objectives
Advertising is a topic with which we are all familiar. Even so, you may not fully appreciate its
many subtle effects on attitudes and behavior. This chapter explores the psychology of
advertising, its effects, and ethics. The first section introduces the myth of subliminal persuasion.
It defines subliminal perception and reviews research that debunks the idea that advertising has
subliminal effects. The psychology of low consumer involvement is then discussed in detail. Mere
Terms and issues to know
Accessibility
Associational appeals
Classical conditioning
ELM’s applications to advertising
Ethics of advertising
Functional theory and advertising
Mere exposure
Myth of subliminal advertising effects
Semiotics
Subliminal advertising
Subliminal perception
Chapter outline
I. The Subliminal Myth
A. The National Association of Broadcasters forbade its members from using subliminal ads
B. Dangerous effects
C. Can drive fears and influence emotions
F. Definition
1. Subliminal advertising means powerful advertising that appeals to emotional, even
unconscious, needs
3. The limen is a hypothetical construct
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5. Few, if any, advertising agencies strive to develop subliminal ads
6. The bad press an advertiser would receive for using subliminal messages would
overwhelm any potential benefits of the subliminal message
G. Effects
2. study had no control, an essential requirement of a scientific experiment
4. A handful of researchers confuse subliminal perception with subliminal persuasion/
5. Few if any real effects
a. People have different thresholds for conscious awareness of stimuli
b. There i
manner that advertisers intend
c. For a subliminal message to influence attitudes, it must, at the very least,
H. Self-Fulfilling Prophecies and Beyond
1. ongly influence
beliefs
3. placebo, because it was
4. Findings could be viewed as a demonstration of self-fulfilling prophecy
a. This is the idea that if you expect something to occur, sometimes it will not
6. Perceptions of subliminal advertising impact are more consequential than actual
effects
7. People yearn for a simple explanation of a complex phenomenon like advertising
II. The Psychology of Low Involvement
A. Reference to the ELM
B. People process messages peripherally under low involvement, hence are more
tangible benefits associated with the product
III. Mere Exposure
A. Simple exposure to communications can influence attitudes
B. Messages repeated over and over again lead to liking
C. Mere exposure is a strong, robust persuasion phenomenon
D. Some argue that messages are easier to process and encode when they have been seen
or heard before
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2. Once people have developed an especially negative attitude toward a product,
company, or politician, repetition cannot change the attitude
H. After a certain point repetition leads to boredom, tedium, and irritation
2. This is one reason why companies like McDonalds and Coca-Cola frequently switch
slogans & change advertising agencies
IV. The Magic of Association
A. Link images using an indirect strategy
B. May employ the rich language of emotion
C. These images are peripheral to the purchase decision
H. Association is perhaps the most important reason why advertising succeeds
I. Classical conditioning
1. Psychologists have applied classical conditioning to social learning (attitude
acquisition)
3. Helps us understand how people develop favorable attitudes toward products
4. Does not take into account:
J. Semiotics
2. Helps us understand how signs take on a rich tapestry of social and cultural meaning
4. Advertising thrives on signs
K. Accessibility
2. Advertising often attempts to connect a product with a positive feeling, symbol, etc.
L. Peripheral Processing
1. When consumers are in a low involvement mode they process ads through the
peripheral route
3. Celebrities transfer meanings from their cultural identity to the product
5. Can work just by putting consumers in a good mood
V. High Involvement
A. Under high involvement conditions, people consider the merits of the product, connect
the product to core values, and systematically process product commercials
B. Strong arguments carry the day
C. Some attitudes fulfill a utilitarian function people purchase products to gain specific,
G. Some attitudes serve a value-expressive function – people purchase products to express
deep seated values
H. Summary
1. Advertisers centrally process highly involved consumers
3. Under low involvement, consumers are susceptible to peripheral appeals, and are
increasingly adapted to an interactive high-tech media environment
VI. The Role of Personality
A. Individuals differ in their perceptions and evaluations of advertising
B. Self-monitoring: the personality factor that has generated the most attention
VII. Advertising Ethics
A. Deontological approach: treats people as an end not a means
B.
VIII. Conclusions
A. Everyone is vulnerable to persuasion to some extent, yet many individuals have an
illusion that they are not
B. Although advertising is pervasive, it does not magically alter attitudes
Discussion points/ projects/ exercises
1. What is the nature of and strengths related to effects of subliminal advertising. In what
ways might it be most effective? What are the ethical components to using subliminals?
Are there times when it is morally acceptable? If so, when and why?
2. Levels of involvement or processing are a major component of the Elaboration Likelihood
Model. Under what involvement conditions are what types of advertising most effective?
4. Watch a reality television episode and compile a list of all of the products you are clearly
able to make out a brand for. Do you normally notice product placements? Do you find