The subliminal publicity and the power effect on parents

The Subliminal Publicity And The Power Effect On Parents

The Subliminal Publicity And The Power Effect On Parents

Introduction

The concept subliminal is archaic, although it is in daily use. The main problem is its necessary bound to the idea of a well-defined perceptual threshold, a concept now in disuse by the first appearance of the signal detection theory into cognitive sciences.

In scientific usage, we can call a stimulus subliminal only if it is faint enough, brief enough, or somehow cannot stimulate the senses enough to induce us to notice its presence, yet subsequent tests can register its presence. But, a more scientifically accurate word for this concept would be slightly perceptible.

Research background

The mainstream meaning of the word "subliminal" is any effect that influences our perception from outside of our awareness.

The interest in subliminal effects in modern science goes back to perceptual physiologist O. Poetzl in the first years of the 1900's. He studied the influence of flashed images on our dreams. In the 50's the introduction of the tachistoscope for even more fast flashing pictures provoked a renewed interest in subliminal effects. Originally a perceptual curiosity, it grew into both a public controversy and a research controversy.

The story of "subliminal effects" begins actually with the reports of a market research consultant: James Vicary. He affirmed that he could influence the behavior of movie audiences by flashing messages onto the screen. In a mood prepared carefully by the views of social critic Vance Packard, this assertion provoked an enduring and widespead fear of subliminal messages in the media. This fact evolved into a higher fear of embedded messages, movies, magazine pictures, of couse television, computer software, Muzak in stores and fear of backward played messages, considered satanis, in music songs.

V. Packard seems to ...