SS 16.00-17.30 Special sessions

SUBLIMINAL MANIPULATION OF SMOKING

The exploitation of the subliminal perception started about 30 years ago. The first experiment probably is the one reported in 1956 by the London Sunday Times and by Vance Packard (1957). An advertisement favouring the iced chocolate sold in the cinema, was projected on the screen. The duration of the stimulus was insufficient to allow the reading of the message or its conscious perception by the viewers. On the unconscious level however, the message has been received, because an increase in sales, that seemed not to be explained otherwise, has been recorded.

Subliminal techniques have increased in usage and became commonly accepted, in particular in the area of cigarette smoking during the 70s. Considering the high cost of such subliminal methods their rise is justified only by tangible results which are measured by an increase in cigarette sales.

The results of our studies confirm the physiologic and psychologic effects of the subliminal stimulation which has already been reported in the specialized literature. Our research on smoking prevention led is to study the sophisticated strategies used by the tobacco advertising industry. We have shown that revealing the subliminal stimuli - at least the visual ones - is extremely useful for teenagers. The enlightened teenager becomes able to recognize the manipulation concealed in advertising and the risk of becoming its victim. Such educational effort has its merits in particular at the school level.

Smoke Free Europe Conference Abstracts - 19 SEP 1996

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