Department of Advertising

Subliminal Appeals

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

As this web site develops, in the space below we will provide a bibliography of articles and books relevant to this topic. To the extent practical, bibliographic references will be annotated.

Anyone interested in submitting additional bibliographic material for this reference page, or for any of the others at this site, is welcome to send such material via e-mail to jef@mail.utexas.edu. Please type the references in the same format as is used here, and keep the annotations to a few sentences.

  1. Jack Haberstroh (1994). Ice Cube Sex: The Truth About Subliminal Advertising. Notre Dame, IN: Cross Cultural Publications.

  2. Martha Rogers and Kirk H. Smith (1993). Public Perceptions of Subliminal Advertising. Journal of Advertising Research, March/April: 10-18.

  3. Stuart Rogers (1993). How a Publicity Blitz Created the Myth of Subliminal Advertising. Public Relations Quarterly, Winter: 12-17.

  4. Sharon E. Beatty and Del I. Hawkins (1989). Subliminal Stimulation: Some New Data and Interpretation. Journal of Advertising, 18 (3): 4-8.

  5. Wilson Bryan Key (1989). The Age of Manipulation: the Con in Confidence, the Sin in Sincere. New York, NY: H. Holt.

    His fourth book on the subject.
  6. T. E. Moore (1988). The Case Against Subliminal Manipulation. Psychology & Marketing, 5 (4): 297-316.

  7. Nicolaos Synodinos (1988). Subliminal Stimulation: What Does the Public Think About It? Current Issues & Research in Advertising, 11 (1&2): 157-187.

  8. Myron Gable, Henry T. Wilkins, Lynn Harris, and Richard Feinberg (1987). An Evaluation of Subliminally Embedded Sexual Stimuli in Graphics. Journal of Advertising, 16 (1): 26-31.

    The effect of embedded sexual stimuli in graphics is examined in an experiment with a sample of college students. An edited version of a print ad for an existing brand is used for each of four product categories - camera, pen, beer, and food. Results show no significant impact of subliminally embedded sexual words and/or symbols in product photographs on consumer preference.

  9. Myron Gable, et al. (1987). Effect of Subliminal Stimuli on Consumer Behavior: Negative Evidence. Perceptual & Motor Skills, 40 (3): 847-854.

  10. Joel Saegert (1987). Why Marketing Should Quit Giving Subliminal Advertising the Benefit of the Doubt. Psychology and Marketing, 4 (2): 107-20.

    This article reviews the current status of subliminal advertising. Theoretical foundations and empirical findings regarding the effects of subliminal advertising are discussed, along with their theoretical and practical implications. It is argued that subliminal advertising is not a useful promotional technique.

  11. Sid C. Dudley (1987). Subliminal Advertising: What is the Controversy About? Akron Business and Economic Review, 18 (Summer): 6-18.

  12. Sidney Weinstein, et al. (1986). Effects of Subliminal Cues in Print Advertising upon Brain Response, Purchase Intention, and Simulated Purchase. Advertising and Consumer Psychology, 3: 3-16.

  13. Martin P. Block and Bruce C. Vanden Bergh (1985). Can You Sell Subliminal Messages to Consumers? Journal of Advertising, 14 (3): 59-62.

    Through a telephone survey this study investigates consumer attitudes toward the use of subliminal messages for self-help purposes. Consumers are found to be concerned about being influenced to do things they do not want to do and skeptical of the efficacy of subliminal techniques for losing weight, stopping smoking, and improving study habits.

  14. William E. Kilbourne, Scott Painton, and Danny Ridley (1985). The Effect of Sexual Embedding on Responses to Magazine Advertisements. Journal of Advertising, 14 (2): 48-56.

    This article reports results from two empirical studies of two magazine ads-- a liquor and a cigarette ad--with sexual cues embedded. Results in Study 1 indicate that sexual embedding is effective in raising evaluations of a liquor ad, but not a cigarette ad. Study 2 finds sexual embedding increasing GSR (Galvanic Skin Resistence) measure for both ads.

  15. Ronnie Cuperfain and T. K. Clarke (1985). A New Perspective of Subliminal Perception. Journal of Advertising, 14 (1): 20-24.

  16. Bliss, Thomas Albert (1983). Subliminal Projection: History and Analysis. COMM/ENT Law Journal, 5: 419-441.

    Reviews the legal issues surrounding this topic.

  17. Eric J. Zanot, et al. (1983). Public Perceptions of Subliminal Advertising. Journal of Advertising, 12 (1): 39-44.

  18. Eric J. Zanot and Lynda M. Maddox (1983). Subliminal Advertising and Education. Journal of Marketing Education, Fall: 13-17.

  19. T. E. Moore (1982). Subliminal Advertising: What You See Is What You Get. Journal of Marketing, 46: 38-47.

  20. Richards, Jef I. , and Richard D. Zakia (1981). Pictures: An Advertiser's Expressway Through FTC Regulation. Georgia Law Review, 16: 77-134.

    Discusses the difficulties in regulation, and lack of attention from regulators, surrounding the role of pictures in advertisements.

  21. Dixon, Norman F. (1981). Preconscious Processing. New York, NY: J. Wiley.

  22. Wilson Bryan Key (1980). The Clam-Plate Orgy: And Other Subliminals the Media Use to Manipulate Your Behavior, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc.

    The third book.

  23. J. Steven Kelly (1979). Subliminal Embeds in Print Advertising: A Challenge to Advertising Ethics. Journal of Advertising, 8 (Summer): 20-24.

  24. Joel Saegert (1979). Another Look at Subliminal Perception. Journal of Advertising Research, 19 (February): 55-57.

  25. A. Hovsepian and G. Quatman (1978). Effects of Subliminal Stimulation on Masculinity-Femininity Ratings of a Male Model. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 46 (February): 155-161.

  26. Wilson Bryan Key (1976). Media Sexploitation, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc.

    The second of his books on the topic.

  27. Wilson Bryan Key (1973). Subliminal Seduction: Ad Media's Manipulation of a Not So Innocent America, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc.

    This is the book that really started the controversy.

  28. L. J. Severance and F. N. Dyer (1973). Failure of Subliminal Word Presentations to Generate Interference to Color Naming. Journal of Experimental Psychology. 101 (1): 186-189.

  29. Dixon, Norman F. (1971). Subliminal Perception: The Nature of a Controversy, London, England: McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Ltd.

    A review of all the psychological research on this topic, by a Reader in Psychology, at University College in London.

  30. Del Hawkins (1970). The Effects of Subliminal Stimulation on Drive Level and Brand Preference. Journal of Marketing Research, 8: 322-326.

  31. M. Zuckerman (1960). The Effects of Subliminal and Supraliminal Suggestions on Verbal Productivity. Journal of Abnormal and Social Personality, 60 (3): 404-411.

  32. Ralph Norman Haber (1959). Public Attitudes Regarding Subliminal Advertising. Public Opinion Quarterly, 23: 291-293.

  33. Heber C. Sharp (1959). Effect of Subliminal Cues on Test Results. Journal of Applied Psychology, 43 (6): 369-371.

  34. J. V. McConnell, et al. (1958). Subliminal Stimulation: An Overview. American Psychologist, 13 (3): 229-242.

  35. L. E. Baker (1937). The Influence of Subliminal Stimuli Upon Verbal Behavior. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 20: 84-100.

  36. J. Bressler (1931). Illusion in the Case of Subliminal Visual Stimulation. Journal of General Psychology, 5 (2): 244-51.

© 1995, 1996, 1997 Jef I. Richards
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