Subliminal Messages in Advertising: Reasons For and Against Lisa Caswell Syracuse UniversityRunning Head: Subliminal Messages Subliminal messages and subliminal perception are controversial topics in the field of psychology. Many studies have been conducted to determine whether subliminal messaging actually works. Many people think that subliminal messages in advertising are much more successful than subliminal messages for self-improvement, such as tapes sold to help the consumer lose weight, gain intelligence, or do something else to improve themselves simply by listening to a tape . . Subliminal advertising can be defined as "the inclusion of material in printed, audio, or video messages so faintly that it is not consciously perceived." Rogers and Smith (1993) interviewed 400 families. When asked if they believed advertisers deliberately included subliminal messages, 61.5% said “yes.” When asked whether subliminal advertising was effective, a "yes" response of 72.2% was obtained. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that consumers are aware of subliminal advertising and believe that it is effectively used by advertisers to influence their decisions. The term "sub-threshold effects", first popularized by Packard in 1957, preceded the popular notion of "subliminal advertising", the originator of which is James Vicary. Subliminal advertising first came to public attention in 1957, when Jim Vicary conducted a subliminal advertising strategy. to intersperse the "drink Coca-Cola" and "eat popcorn" messages across a movie screen so quickly that they could not be consciously seen by the audience. His research initially reported increased sales of both Coca-Cola and popcorn as a result of the subliminal messages. Later, however, when challenged and unable to replicate or even produce the results, Vicary admitted that the results of the initial study had been fabricated (Weir, 1984). Key (1989) more recently argued that hidden or embedded messages are widespread and effective. Key's theories have been widely discredited by scholars who have scientifically examined marketing applications (Moore, 1982). Although some academic studies have reported some limited effects of exposure to subliminal stimuli in laboratory settings (Greenwald, Klinger, & Liu, 1989), most academic researchers on the topic have reported results that indicate no practical or predictable effects in an advertising context. Dixon, 1971). The 1957 Vicary study was largely ignored by the academic community due to lack of scientific documentation on the methodology and failure to replicate. However, scholarly findings and industry assertions may have had little or no effect on the average American, who has been exposed to popular articles and books promoting the idea that subliminal advertising is used and is effective. Additionally, Americans have been exposed to advertisements claiming that self-help audiotapes and videocassettes containing subliminal material can help the purchaser lose weight, improve relationships, improve one's golf game, quit smoking, and even control births. by the public