Behaviorist Principles in Advertising

4 Commentsby   |  04.02.13  |  Student Posts

Behaviorism assumes that behavior is observable and can be associated with other observable events. Behaviorism also studies the correlation between stimuli, reaction, and consequence. Just like Watson caused the baby to feel fear at the sight of the rat in his experiment, many principles of Watson’s behaviorist theory are used in modern advertising. “Planting ideas” in someone’s mind is fairly simple if the person is open to the repetitive stimuli that are set upon them on something as convenient as a television. Based on the behaviorist theory an easy way manipulate consumers was through their emotions. Ads that make the consumer any strong emotion will force him or her to formulate an opinion on the product being advertised. Advertisers can control how we feel about a product by manipulating our emotions through the use of music, children, comedy, drama, authority figures, good acting, and essentially any type of influential cinema. The famous SPCA commercial in which Sarah McLachlan tearfully asks viewers to donate to this cause is a perfect example. It uses many of these factors. However, because of the intensity of the commercial, not only did it get people to pay to the cause but it caused an equal opposite reaction. Advertising is the idea that people judge things on the basis of their subjective experience. These experiences will form patterns of their behavior and habits such as donating to a cause. If this personal experience was pleasant a person would try to repeat it.  However, if it was an unpleasant one a person would try to avoid it. For many people, this commercial means pressing the channel button in order to not ruin their day. I know that it did for me. abc_scared_baby_blowing_nose_nt_110323_wg 04 05

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4 Comments

  1. Josh Marshall
    3:44 pm, 04.02.13

    Very interesting take on the effects on consumers through behaviorism in the media. I couldn’t agree more that we are most easily manipulated through our emotions and that marketers have become increasingly successful at discovering new angles at which they can attack the emotions and essentially the wallets of consumers. Unfortunately, most advertisements are used for personal gain rather than the helping a person or cause that needs it. Great post, thanks for sharing.

  2. Carter Wells
    5:27 pm, 04.02.13

    I remember during a lecture in my persuasion course sophomore year when I realized that all of advertising is either priming or conditioning. I think far too often our automatic processing recognizes beauty, happiness, and popularity as positive rewards and desires to engage in that behavior without us even realizing it. After taking that persuasion course, I was a much more conscientious consumer. When I saw something that I wanted, I often asked myself why. Most of the time, I didn’t really have a firm answer…I just wanted it. I wonder how much of this can be attributed to free associations with positive rewards that we intake from advertising.

  3. Madison Hudson
    8:03 pm, 04.02.13

    Great post. The Sarah McLachlan commercial actually came to mind in class today when he was talking about our posts. It is almost ridiculous how advertisers set the mood for the viewer with the “In the Arms of an Angel” song playing in the background and the sad faces of the abused animals. I know it is for a good cause and everything, but guilt tripping into giving a donation is something that really bothers me. Is there a better way to get donations from viewers without such an intense form of manipulation..

  4. Lincoln Woods
    10:21 pm, 04.02.13

    “In the Arms of an Angel” has been ruined forever because of the SPCA commercials. It’s uncanny how effective advertisements are when it comes to associating. Every time I hear the song from the SPCA commercial, the sad images of shelter dogs comes to mind and practically ruins my day. Its also very evident in advertising jingles. With an effective parody of a song in a commercial, it will become difficult to hear the original without singing the fake lyrics in your head. An example of this for me is the Garmin navigation system commercial that used the “Carol of the Bells” tune. Needless to say, commercials and advertisements trigger certain emotions in me that can make me want to buy their product or immediately change the channel to avoid feeling a mass amount of guilt.

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