Subliminal Persuasion

1. Of the five factors mentioned in the Pratkanis report, which one do you think is the strongest explanation for why people fall "victim" to so-called subliminal influence. Explain why.

            In my opinion, the most influential explanation for why so many people fall under subliminal influence is Pratkanis' factor of " The Devil Made Me Do It."  In order to achieve maximum profits, companies undergo rigorous testing to see  how they can make customers purchase their product.  In some instances, I believe that companies dwell into the unconscious minds of customers, secretly forcing them to invest in their company.  As we go further into the future, the leading companies of the nation are slowly gaining more control on our purchasing power.

2. Which factor do you think is the weakest of Pratkanis' arguments? Explain why.

            I believe that "The Witch Test" is the weakest of Pratkanis' arguments.  Although he creates a valid point stating that if subliminal messages did not work, then they would not be in use, his other arguments are stronger because he fails to explain how people with an intelligence level that is above the average intelligence level will question the statements of the advertisement.

3. Do you believe subliminal advertising exists? Have Pratkanis influenced your opinion. Why or why not?

            I firmly believe that subliminal advertising exists.  I think that there are individuals who are subliminally influenced into purchasing a project because they lack the skill to ignore these subliminal messages.  For example, a few years ago my father purchased a mop that he was convinced would help us keep our home clean on numerous occasions.  However, the mop has yet to be used.  My father was under the impression that we "needed" this mop because of how helpful it would be, which directly correlates with Pratkanis'  fifth factor, "The Devil Made Me Do It."  Pratkanis' has caused my belief of the existence of subliminal advertising to increase because of his five, well thought-out factors.

Sensation vs. Perception

Defining Sensation and Perception:
          Although sensation and perception have a significant relationship with each other, they are also quite different. Sensation is the way that our sensory receptors and nervous system represent a stimulus that is from our environment; while perception is the process by which we organize and interpret sensory information.  I think that a good way to differentiate the two is to think of sensation as when our body receives the stimulus from the environment, as with smell, taste, touch, hearing, or vision.  And perception is the way that the our senses are analyzed and interpreted in our brain.  Perception defines what we smelt, tasted, felt, heard, or saw and it is what happens after sensation.

Example:
          An example of sensation and perception is when a person drinks water after a long run and he feels exhausted and dehydrated.  While he is voraciously devouring the water, he feels the water going into his body, which would be the sensation component.  As he feels the water enter his system, he begins analyzing what the water is doing to him, the perceiving part.  The runner analyzes that the water is causing him to feel refreshed after his run and thus no longer have the need to quench his thirst.  The bottom-up process occurs when he begins drinking water and realizes that his desire for water is disappearing.  However, the top-down process occurs when he decides to drink water because the runner knows that it will get rid of his dehydration.

Phrenology

          Phrenology is the detailed study of the shape and size of the cranium as a supposed indication of character and mental abilities.  Franz Gall brought about this study and believed that certain parts of the skull held certain characteristics, such as friendship, imitation, hope, and wit.  His theory was originally thought to be accurate, partially because it was very difficult to prove wrong.  Although his theory has many flaws, I find the idea of certain components defining one's character to be rather intriguing.  If phrenology was entirely accurate, phrenologists could determine a person's personality simply by looking at their skull which would be an amazing aid to society.  Unfortunately, it may have brought about the idea judging one another based on physical characteristics.
          However, I think that Gall's erroneous theory of phrenology helped pave the way for the further understanding of the brain.  From Gall came a deeper interest into what the brain was all about which, in turn, brought about the Computed Tomography Scan, the Positron Emission Tomography Scan, and the Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scan.  With brain scans, neuroscientists now have the ability to create brain maps and to discover the function of each brain part.  Without Gall, I do not believe that we would have all the information about the brain and its individual functions that we have now.