Subliminal (psychology)
Subliminal (Latin : sub : "under" and limen : "threshold", German: subliminal ; Ggt .: supraliminal, German: supra-threshold) is a term from psychology . It describes the subliminal presentation or perception of stimuli . “Subliminal” means that the threshold of consciousness is not exceeded, so that people do not notice the subliminal stimuli presented to them or at least cannot discriminate (separate) them; they are not accessible to consciousness.
Causes of subliminal stimuli
Stimuli can fail at the threshold of conscious perception for a variety of reasons, for example when their presentation is too short or the signal-to-noise ratio or the time of presentation are unfavorable, for example during saccades (saccadic suppression). In addition, perceptibility can be impaired by the temporal or spatial proximity of other distracting stimuli ( attention , see also attentional blink ).
Another kind of subliminality is the stereotype of certain stimuli. We are so used to these representations that we are no longer aware of them. In advertising, women are more likely to show their entire bodies, men more often only to show the head. “Men act, women watch.” Women are portrayed in dependent roles more often than men. Insurers often advertise with the promise to offer security from the insured risk - although no accident insurance can prevent accidents.
In human research, subliminal stimuli are typically implemented through a very short (e.g. tachistoscopic ) presentation time. In most cases, visual stimuli (images) are only presented for a few milliseconds and then superimposed by a second disruptive stimulus, e.g. B. a mask of random points.
This distraction effect can be seen e.g. B. Neglect patients who no longer consciously recognize a normally clearly perceptible stimulus when a second stimulus is presented in the other half of the face at the same time. Even more dramatic in this regard are reports of cortical blindness following damage to the primary visual cortex . Nevertheless, subliminal stimuli also leave verifiable traces in the memory (see priming ) or cause behavioral tendencies that do not necessarily have to be in harmony with the conscious attitude ( unconscious information processing ).
Murphy and Zajonc experiment
In Murphy and Zajonc's experiment (1993), the test subjects were shown a Chinese character that they were asked to rate on a scale from 1 (“I didn't like it at all”) to 5 (“I liked it very much”). For 10 milliseconds , i.e. subliminally, they saw either a friendly face, a neutral object or an angry face in front of the character . This pre-stimulus had a significant influence on the evaluation of the character.
Subliminal messages in advertising
In the USA there was a wave of outrage at the end of the 1950s when an advertising company pretended to influence moviegoers by means of individual images hidden in the movie, and the fear arose that this would already be implemented in widespread practice. At the same time, a campaign by James Vicary was presented as a "scientific study", which became known as the Eat-Popcorn / Drink-Cola Study . This “study” turned out to be a fake. It was never done, it was unscientific in terms of research design, and the results were made up.
In 2007, subliminal messages came back into the public eye when the Canadian television broadcaster CBC accidentally discovered that winning symbol combinations were briefly flashing on slot machines made by Konami . The effectiveness of subliminal images and messages on addicts , in contrast to subliminal advertising, is assessed as critical by experts, since the target persons are much easier to influence than the average population.
The majority of people reject subliminal advertising messages.
Subliminal Messages in Politics
During the presidential election campaign between George W. Bush and Al Gore , Bush had a television commercial broadcast in September 2000 in which the word "RATS" (rats) flashed for about a thirtieth of a second when the sentence "Gore's financing plan: The bureaucracy decides" However, the word moves towards the lettering "BUREAUCRATS", to which it forms a suffix. Since "BUR" (burdock) flashes for a thirtieth of a second before, it is very likely that it is an intentionally created animation that was specially tailored to the word BUREAUCRATS.
Subliminal messages for self-help
Even on the multi-billion dollar self-help market, sound carriers with subliminal messages are offered. In the USA alone, sales of the corresponding CDs in 1990 were around $ 50 million. Its ineffectiveness in weight loss, smoking cessation, increasing self-esteem and improving memory has been shown several times.
In contrast to these clear statements about the ineffectiveness of subliminal messages on sound carriers in the self-help area, there are indications from several studies that subliminal messages can work (see English-language Wikipedia under the keyword "subliminal stimuli"; the explanations below come from the English-language Wikipedia). For example, when there is a significant change in a negative self-concept. There are also studies that show that when smoking cessation using subliminal messages, the abstinence rates are much higher than in a control group.
Cautious conclusion: at least as a supplement to conventional treatment (e.g. smoking cessation, psychotherapy), subliminal messages seem to be able to play a helpful role. However, subliminal messages may also have a certain effect on their own.
Reception in popular culture
As a result, a thoroughly motivated death ( Double exposure S03E04) the television series Columbo in 1973 (German premiere 1976) occurs as perpetrators of motivation researcher Dr. Bart Kepple, who has published several books on marketing, works with advertising companies, and is an expert on subliminal advertising. Before the screening of a new motivational film with a desert theme, he served his first victim Victor Norris very salty caviar (which Columbo later also eats) and set the temperature in the cinema room high. With incorporated images of an ice-cold soft drink, Kepple ensures that Norris leaves the cinema to drink water. There Norris is shot while a tape recording with the film commentary simulates Kepple's presence behind the stage curtain. Columbo has the technology explained to him and then takes pictures of himself looking for something in Kepple's office - the only possible hiding place. These will be incorporated into a customer film shown the next day. During the performance, Kepple rushed out of the hall. He wants to go to his office, where he hid the adapter that makes the existing pistol usable for a smaller caliber and carries the powder traces. In his office he is surprised by Columbo.
See also
Individual evidence
- ^ E. Aronson , TD Wilson, RM Akert: Social Psychology . Pearson study. 6th edition 2008, ISBN 978-3-8273-7359-5 , p. 224.
- ↑ Jürgen Buchmüller: Telepolis: Are dollar signs blinking in the eyes of one-armed bandits? In: heise.de , March 1, 2007.
- ^ E. Aronson, TD Wilson, RM Akert: Social Psychology . Pearson study. 6th edition 2008, ISBN 978-3-8273-7359-5 , p. 223.
- ^ E. Aronson, TD Wilson, RM Akert: Social Psychology . Pearson study. 6th edition 2008, ISBN 978-3-8273-7359-5 , p. 220.
- ^ E. Aronson, TD Wilson, RM Akert: Social Psychology . Pearson study. 6th edition 2008, ISBN 978-3-8273-7359-5 , p. 221.
- ↑ AT Moeller, RF Kotzé, KJ Sieberhagen: Comparison of the effects of auditory subliminal stimulation and rational emotive therapy, separately and combined, on self-concept. In: Psychological reports. 72 (1), Department of Psychology, University of Stellenbosch, RSA, Feb 1993, pp. 131-145.
- ↑ JR Palmatier, PH Bornstein: Effects of Subliminal Stimulation of Symbiotic Merging Fantasies on Behavioral Treatment of Smokers. In: The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease. 168, No. 12, 1980, pp. 715-720.
- ↑ EAT POPCORN! Subliminal advertising. In: earnetic.de April 2019
- ↑ Columbo Cuts to the Chase! Are Subliminal Cuts Marketing Magic of Yesteryear? 2011. ( analogalex.com ( Memento from January 16, 2013 in the web archive archive.today ))
- ↑ Columbo - Episode Guide Season 3. In: fernsehserien.de