Effect of subliminal stimuli on consumer behavior: negative evidence

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Consumer Behavior
• Marketing Science

Background:

• Previous research suggested subliminal stimulation could influence buying behavior.
• Motivational research theorists posited that subtle cues impact consumer choices.
• Methodological weaknesses in prior studies necessitated re-evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To rigorously test the claims of motivational research theorists regarding subliminal advertising.
• To investigate the effect of subliminal "Hershey's Chocolate" stimuli on purchasing decisions.
• To address and correct methodological flaws in previous experimental designs.

Main Methods:

• Two experiments were conducted with controlled buying situations.
• Participants were exposed to subliminal "Hershey's Chocolate" stimuli below detection or recognition thresholds.
• Control groups received blank slides or stimuli above recognition thresholds.

Main Results:

• Neither experimental nor control groups purchased "Hershey's" branded products.
• Experimental groups purchased more comparable chocolate products (5) than control groups (3) in the first study.
• No participants exposed to subliminal stimuli purchased "Hershey's" in the second study; two control participants did.

Conclusions:

• The study found no support for the claims that subliminal stimulation affects buying behavior.
• Methodological improvements strengthened the validity of the findings.
• Consumer choices were not demonstrably influenced by subliminal "Hershey's Chocolate" cues in this research.