Abstract

This article focuses on the new psychological technique called "subliminal perception," which was adopted to induce unsuspecting movie-goers in New Jersey to eat popcorns and drink Coca-Cola. Subliminal perception is a cumbersome scientific phrase with ominous overtones, which possibly because it was never very clearly defined, was quick to catch the public imagination. Subliminal perception became a topic of concerned conversation at cocktail parties and editorial conferences throughout the nation. Official agencies of the United States government held hearings. Television stations took positions for or against the use of subliminal advertising. At least two motion picture studios moved in to take advantage of the interest. All of this excitement was refreshing to most psychologists, who had been following the gentle academic controversy about subliminal perception that has been simmering for over fifty years. In light of the public anxiety about subliminal perception, we feel that it may be helpful to separate the evidence concerning the known effects of subliminal stimulation from the fantasies which some of the published reports have elicited.