In the Late 1950s, James Vicary, a Public-Relations Executive, Arranged

question 183

Multiple Choice

In the late 1950s, James Vicary, a public-relations executive, arranged to have subliminal messages flashed on a theatre screen during a movie. The messages urged the audience to "drink Coca-Cola" and "eat popcorn." Vicary's report that the subliminal messages increased popcorn sales by 50 percent and soft-drink sales by 18 percent was _______________.

• A)subsequently replicated by researchers
• B)the stimulus for more stringent truth in advertising laws
• C)the basis for new mind control and brainwashing techniques
• D)later revealed to be a fraud when Vicary confessed he had made it all up

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Definitions:

Vicarious Conditioning

Learning that occurs by observing the reactions of others to an environment, rather than through direct experience or participation.

Emotional Responses

The reactions, both physiological and psychological, of an individual to external or internal stimuli.

Stimulus Generalization

The tendency to respond to stimuli that are similar, but not identical, to a conditioned stimulus in the process of learning.

Biological Preparedness

Referring to the tendency of animals to learn certain associations, such as taste and nausea, with only one or few pairings due to the survival value of the learning.