This research reviews the effectiveness of subliminal advertising, as such advertising would be used in magazines. Subliminal is an adjective applied to the process of stimula tion below the threshold, or limen, of conscious perception (Kaplan, & Sadock, 1987). Proponents of subliminal advertising contend that sub liminally presented messages can alter attitudes and drives, and cause recipients to behave in a way in which they other wise would not (Key, 1974). Such behavior might range from voting for a specific candidate to purchasing a particular product.
Other people who think that subliminal message presenta tion may be effective in altering attitudes and drives oppose the practice. These people are fearful of mass brainwashing by commercial or political interests (Kotter, & Armstrong, 1989).
The great majority of empirical research in subliminal advertising has concluded either that (1) it has not been pos sible to learn enough about the effects of subliminal message presentation to make a reliable assessment of its effective ness, or (2) the practice is not effective in altering atti tudes and drives (Beatty, & Hawkins, 1989). Nevetheless, the concept and the purported effectiveness of subliminal
1 2advertising continue to receive wide support among both theor ists and the general public (Kilbourne, Painton, & Ridley, 1985).
This research reviews both the concept of subliminal advertising, and research findings related to its effective ness. Lastly, this research draws conclusions with respect to the effectiveness of subliminal advertising used in magazines.
THE CONCEPT OF SUBLIMINAL ADVERTISING
Subliminal messages may be presented as either words or graphic symbols. If they are to remain subliminal messages, they must be embedded within an advertisement so effectively that viewers cannot consciously perceive their presence, and they must remain out of conscious perception. Thus, a sublimi nal...