James McDonald Vicary (April 30, 1915 – November 7, 1977) was a market researcher who pioneered the concept of subliminal advertising with an experiment in 1957, later determined to have been fraudulent. Vicary was unable to ever reproduce the results of his experiments.
Vicary finally admitted that his subliminal "experiment" had been concocted as a gimmick to attract customers to his failing marketing business.
Born in Detroit, and trained at the University of Michigan (A.B 1940), he pioneered the use of eye-blink analysis to obtain clues about subjects' levels of emotional tension when exposed to various stimuli.[1] He also studied the phenomena of impulse buying and word association.
He was also known to have a childhood fascination with snakes.[2] He was called Detroit's youngest snake charmer by The Detroit News.
Vicary became famous for perpetrating a fraudulent subliminal advertising study in 1957. In it, he claimed that an experiment in which moviegoers were repeatedly shown 1/3000-second advertisements for Coca-Cola and popcorn significantly increased product sales.[3] Based on his claims the CIA produced a report "The operational potential of subliminal perception" [4] in 1958 that led to subliminal cuts being banned in the US[dubious – discuss]. It suggested that "Certain individuals can at certain times and under certain circumstances be influenced to act abnormally without awareness of the influence". When challenged later to replicate the study, Vicary failed to produce significant results. He provided no explanations for his results or any other details about his study to the public, claiming that it was part of a confidential patent. When Stuart Rogers[5] interviewed the theater that supposedly conducted this experiment, the manager declared that no such test was ever done (Rogers 1992)[5]
In a television interview with Fred Danzig in 1962 for Advertising Age, Vicary admitted that the original study was "a gimmick" and that the amount of data was "too small to be meaningful".[6][7] He shied away from media attention after the disclosure.[8] His papers are held by the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center at the University of Connecticut in Storrs. Numerous commentaries have appeared on this affair since 1957.[9]
Popcorn experiment
One of the most commonly known examples of subliminal messaging is Vicary’s movie theater "experiment" in 1957, purportedly in Fort Lee, New Jersey. In his press release, he claimed that 45,699 people were exposed to subliminal projections telling them to "Eat Popcorn" and "Drink Coca-Cola", causing a 57.5 percent sales increase for popcorn and an 18.1 percent increase in Coca-Cola sales. Vicary provided no explanations for his results making it impossible to reproduce his results. Taken in context with evidence that no experiment even took place, Vicary’s results can be considered completely fraudulent. Vicary later retracted his claims in a television interview, but Vicary’s original claims spread rapidly and led to widespread acceptance of subliminal messaging, even today. (O’Barr 2005).[10]
Publications
"How Psychiatric Methods Can be Applied to Market Research", Printer's Ink, v. 235, no. 6, May 11, 1951, pp. 39–48.
"Seasonal Psychology", Journal of Marketing, April 1956
"The Circular Test of Bias in Personal Interview Surveys." Public Opinion Quarterly 19, no. 2, Summer 1955 215-218
^O'Barr, William M (August 1, 2005). ""Subliminal" Advertising". Advertising & Society Review. 6 (4). doi:10.1353/asr.2006.0014. S2CID 201752721 – via Project MUSE.
^Stuart Rogers, "How a Publicity Blitz Created the Myth of Subliminal Advertising", Public Relations Quarterly, v. 37, Winter, 1992-93, pp. 12-17
^Kelly B. Crandall, Invisible Commercials and Hidden Persuaders: James M. Vicary and the Subliminal Advertising Controversy of 1957. HIS 4970: Undergraduate Honors Thesis, University of Florida, Department of History, April 12, 2006
^[1] O'Barr, W. M. (2005). "Subliminal" Advertising. Advertising & Society Review, 6(4)
External links
, Thomas J. Dodd Research Center, University of Connecticut
March 24, 2023
james, vicary, james, mcdonald, vicary, april, 1915, november, 1977, market, researcher, pioneered, concept, subliminal, advertising, with, experiment, 1957, later, determined, have, been, fraudulent, vicary, unable, ever, reproduce, results, experiments, vica. James McDonald Vicary April 30 1915 November 7 1977 was a market researcher who pioneered the concept of subliminal advertising with an experiment in 1957 later determined to have been fraudulent Vicary was unable to ever reproduce the results of his experiments Vicary finally admitted that his subliminal experiment had been concocted as a gimmick to attract customers to his failing marketing business Contents 1 Biography 2 Popcorn experiment 3 Publications 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksBiography EditBorn in Detroit and trained at the University of Michigan A B 1940 he pioneered the use of eye blink analysis to obtain clues about subjects levels of emotional tension when exposed to various stimuli 1 He also studied the phenomena of impulse buying and word association He was also known to have a childhood fascination with snakes 2 He was called Detroit s youngest snake charmer by The Detroit News Vicary became famous for perpetrating a fraudulent subliminal advertising study in 1957 In it he claimed that an experiment in which moviegoers were repeatedly shown 1 3000 second advertisements for Coca Cola and popcorn significantly increased product sales 3 Based on his claims the CIA produced a report The operational potential of subliminal perception 4 in 1958 that led to subliminal cuts being banned in the US dubious discuss It suggested that Certain individuals can at certain times and under certain circumstances be influenced to act abnormally without awareness of the influence When challenged later to replicate the study Vicary failed to produce significant results He provided no explanations for his results or any other details about his study to the public claiming that it was part of a confidential patent When Stuart Rogers 5 interviewed the theater that supposedly conducted this experiment the manager declared that no such test was ever done Rogers 1992 5 In a television interview with Fred Danzig in 1962 for Advertising Age Vicary admitted that the original study was a gimmick and that the amount of data was too small to be meaningful 6 7 He shied away from media attention after the disclosure 8 His papers are held by the Thomas J Dodd Research Center at the University of Connecticut in Storrs Numerous commentaries have appeared on this affair since 1957 9 Popcorn experiment EditOne of the most commonly known examples of subliminal messaging is Vicary s movie theater experiment in 1957 purportedly in Fort Lee New Jersey In his press release he claimed that 45 699 people were exposed to subliminal projections telling them to Eat Popcorn and Drink Coca Cola causing a 57 5 percent sales increase for popcorn and an 18 1 percent increase in Coca Cola sales Vicary provided no explanations for his results making it impossible to reproduce his results Taken in context with evidence that no experiment even took place Vicary s results can be considered completely fraudulent Vicary later retracted his claims in a television interview but Vicary s original claims spread rapidly and led to widespread acceptance of subliminal messaging even today O Barr 2005 10 Publications Edit How Psychiatric Methods Can be Applied to Market Research Printer s Ink v 235 no 6 May 11 1951 pp 39 48 Seasonal Psychology Journal of Marketing April 1956 The Circular Test of Bias in Personal Interview Surveys Public Opinion Quarterly 19 no 2 Summer 1955 215 218See also EditProgramming the Nation References Edit Vance Packard The Hidden Persuaders Penguin 1961 paperback edition p 41 93 Untitled Document Wayne State University Libraries library wayne edu Brean Herbert March 31 1958 Hidden Sell Technique is Almost Here LIFE 44 13 102 Retrieved July 20 2015 CIA The operational potential of subliminal perception Archived from the original on January 9 2008 a b Gale Institution Finder galeapps gale com Popcorn Subliminal Advertising Snopes com O Barr William M August 1 2005 Subliminal Advertising Advertising amp Society Review 6 4 doi 10 1353 asr 2006 0014 S2CID 201752721 via Project MUSE Stuart Rogers How a Publicity Blitz Created the Myth of Subliminal Advertising Public Relations Quarterly v 37 Winter 1992 93 pp 12 17 Kelly B Crandall Invisible Commercials and Hidden Persuaders James M Vicary and the Subliminal Advertising Controversy of 1957 HIS 4970 Undergraduate Honors Thesis University of Florida Department of History April 12 2006 1 O Barr W M 2005 Subliminal Advertising Advertising amp Society Review 6 4 External links EditJames M Vicary Papers Thomas J Dodd Research Center University of Connecticut Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title James Vicary amp oldid 1140608004, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
