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The public has feared subliminal messages since the term gained popularity back in the late 1950s. This is understandable because there has always been a misconception that subliminal messages have the power to manipulate you by flashing images or words that you are consciously unaware of. When subliminal messages first gained popularity people claimed that we had fallen into a dystopian society. Norman Cousins, a journalist in the late 1950, wrote in an influential paper “Welcome to 1984,” comparing the use of subliminal messages to the novel 1984 where the government has access to our inner thoughts and is constantly monitoring us (Cousins). Cousins claimed that subliminal messages had dangerous implications that can lead to this disaster. According to William M. O'Barr, This upset over subliminal messages began when James Vicary, a market researcher, claimed that when he subliminally displayed the words drink Coca-Cola and eat popcorn, sales for Coca-Cola went up 18% and sales for popcorn went up 58% (O’Barr). Even after it was revealed that this information was falsified, the fear of subliminal messages only grew.
In a survey conducted by psychologists Martha Rogers and Kirk H. Smith, they discovered that "74.3% of respondents reported having heard of the concept of subliminal advertising, and 61.5% believed that the technique was being used by advertisers" (Rogers and Smith). The public has constantly feared subliminal messages and even though many of these fears involve misconception, people cannot claim that subliminal messages have no influence on the decisions we make. It’s difficult to prevent people from fearing subliminal messages, because it’s something that they are unaware of that may be controlling them.
What Are Subliminal Messages:
According to Nick Kolenda, a marketing research analyst, subliminal messages "are stimuli that lie below our threshold of conscious awareness" (Kolenda). They can be images, words, or sounds that we cannot consciously detect, however our subconscious can detect it and may be influenced by it.
Here's a video explaining the effects subliminal messages can have on us:
The public has feared subliminal messages since the term gained popularity back in the late 1950s. This is understandable because there has always been a misconception that subliminal messages have the power to manipulate you by flashing images or words that you are consciously unaware of. When subliminal messages first gained popularity people claimed that we had fallen into a dystopian society. Norman Cousins, a journalist in the late 1950, wrote in an influential paper “Welcome to 1984,” comparing the use of subliminal messages to the novel 1984 where the government has access to our inner thoughts and is constantly monitoring us (Cousins). Cousins claimed that subliminal messages had dangerous implications that can lead to this disaster. According to William M. O'Barr, This upset over subliminal messages began when James Vicary, a market researcher, claimed that when he subliminally displayed the words drink Coca-Cola and eat popcorn, sales for Coca-Cola went up 18% and sales for popcorn went up 58% (O’Barr). Even after it was revealed that this information was falsified, the fear of subliminal messages only grew.
In a survey conducted by psychologists Martha Rogers and Kirk H. Smith, they discovered that "74.3% of respondents reported having heard of the concept of subliminal advertising, and 61.5% believed that the technique was being used by advertisers" (Rogers and Smith). The public has constantly feared subliminal messages and even though many of these fears involve misconception, people cannot claim that subliminal messages have no influence on the decisions we make. It’s difficult to prevent people from fearing subliminal messages, because it’s something that they are unaware of that may be controlling them.
What Are Subliminal Messages:
According to Nick Kolenda, a marketing research analyst, subliminal messages "are stimuli that lie below our threshold of conscious awareness" (Kolenda). They can be images, words, or sounds that we cannot consciously detect, however our subconscious can detect it and may be influenced by it.
Here's a video explaining the effects subliminal messages can have on us:
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