the relationship between psychology and advertisement:classical conditioning and operant conditioning
...oal of studying perception is to understand the fundamental building block that makes up a more complex form of human behavior. Once I was watching a movie in the movie theaters in other country, there is frequent repetition of flashed message such as “Eat popcorn” on the screen during the show. The message would be flashed just short in time, so that no one would consciously notice it. Thus, the appearance of the advertisement is unconsciousness persuasive to audience. In this manner, I would say that the advertiser does not understand the important of consumer’s behavior and understand the power of advertising because the small effects may be limited to the recognition of the product and it can’t influence viewer to make the decision to buy it. If the advertiser applied the principle of the goal of psychology, I think the phenomenon might be different and it could even do great. Advertisers proposed that buying behavior could be influenced most effectively if people are unaware of being influenced. In some cases, frequent repetition of messages was reported used to influence the buying behavior. As I mentioned the example of the development of a girl from the onset of puberty to maturity, in this period they have learn from advertisement that the important of their perfume, clothing, bodies, and beauty repeatedly and it could rebuild their confidence. This is the success how the repeatedly advertisement are involving in our society. Lahey (1983, p660) also mentioned that psychologist found that a numbers of perceptual factors such as size, color, repetition, and spatial position influence the effectiveness of advertisements. Chapter 2 2.0 Learning and memory in advertisement: What does it mean? “The central focus of learning theory is an analysis of the relation between stimulus and response. The stimulus might be external or internal that brings about an alteration in a person’s behavior. This alteration behavior is called a response. Deaux and Wrightsman (1988,p15) are discussed that If a response leads to a favorable outcome for that person, a state of reinforcement then exists; that is, the person has been rewarded for his or her response. What is learning? For this purpose, we (Guinn, Allen & Richard, 2000, p99) will define learning as a relatively permanent change in behavior traceable through experience and practice. Learning is intimately related to the basic behavioral characteristic of knowledge, skill and intention. Generally, it is known that knowledge and intention are acquired through experience skill practice. Repetition of particular activities, practice, leads to an improvement in the skill. That I have mentioned in chapter one, the advertiser use the psychological to cultivate in the society an ideal of “Image of Idea Beauty” for the girl who develop from the stage of puberty to maturity. A slim body is much coveted. Consequently, the slimming center, slim pills, and variety of dieting product are mushrooming in market. The advertiser can do so because they understand how to control their target audience. Therefore, the application of knowledge is a brilliant way. That is why the important of application of the principle of psychology is to create a successful advertisement. It is possible to categorize “learning” into two basics types: classical conditioning and instrumental conditioning or operant conditioning. 2.1 Classical conditioning Ivan Pavlov, a Russian physiologist, was among the first to report classical conditioning. Pavlov’s experimental was set-up for measuring saliva flow responses in dogs. Foods elicit saliva, measured by a tube connected to a cup placed over one of the salivary glands. The bell serves as the neutral stimulus. Classical conditioning situation involves four events: two pertaining to the stimulus and two to the organism’s response. There is a neutral stimulus (CS), the bell in our example from Pavlov. The second stimulus is the unconditioned stimulus (UCS). Prior to conditioning it reliably elicits the desired response. Presentation of meat, the UCS, elicits saliva flow before conditioning. The saliva response to the UCS is known as the unconditioned response (UCR). This is the response that occurs before any conditioning has taken place. The response that begins to happen as a result of condition is called the conditioned response (CR) - a salivary response to the bell alone in the absence of meat. Visual by author Fig 2: Diagram of Classical conditioning Chiron n.d. Fig 3 : Classical conditioning: before conditioning Before conditioning. It is happens before any conditioning. The stimulus is called the unconditioned stimulus (ucs) because there is no learning involved in connecting the stimulus and response. Chiron n.d. Fig 4: Classical conditioning : During conditioning It is happens during conditioning. During the conditioning, the neutral stimulus firstto be presented followed by the unconditioned stimulus, gradually. The learner will develop an association between these two stimulus. Chiron n.d Fig 5:Classical conditioning: After conditioning After conditioning. It happens after conditioning. After the conditioning, the preciously neutral elicited by the unconditioned stimulus only. Now, the stimulus has changed to continued stimulus because it is eliciting a different response now. The response is called conditioned response now. Fig 3 to 5: The process of classical conditioning Some of the best examples are using the frequency in advertisement. Slogans, repeated frequently, become household words and increase the chances that we think of the advertiser's product when we want such a product or service. We will be more likely to purchase one such as at least a trial response. One of the successful slogan brands is Nike - “Just do it”. “This is an urged action slogan and as mentioned by Wieden that “as come out of the idea that sports is action and decision and not philosophy, at the same time, we need to act, and not get caught up in uncertainty. And I think people respond to that, particularly in this complex society. There’s a sense of freedom in that action.”(Upshaw,1995, p223) The classical conditioning happened in the slogan itself, the response will be appeal while the brand Nike does not appeal. Another example is Calvin Klein's advertisement. The advertisement used sex to stimulate and to elicit a conditioned response. Kate Moss- Calvin Klein's famous model and it is also a symbol of Calvin Klein. The above Kate Moss is nuke in the advertisement and uses sex to create the desire, arousal, excitement and attention to the viewers and mentally to believe that merely using Kate Moss will make the viewer more desirable to attract members of the opposite sex. Visual by author Fig 6: Diagram of analysis the relationship between classical conditioning and Calvin Klein 2.2 Operant conditioning Operant conditioning is associated with E.L Thorndoke and B.F Skinner and this conditioning involves more activity on the part of the learner than classical conditioning. A person can be described as behaving so as to gain the reward of avoiding punishment. The second basic type of learning is called instrumental or operant conditioning. Guinn, Allen & Richard discussed ( 2000, p99) that the term of “operant” is used to emphasize the component of work involved on the part of the learner, while the term instrumental indicates that the learner has some control over his own circumstances. The basic idea is simple: Learning consists of discovering that a particular response (R) is followed by a particular stimulus events(S) and R is followed by S. As Guinn, Allen & Richard ( 2000, p99) had discussed the key words in operant conditioning are consequences, it involves learning the consequences of behaving in a certain way, “learning” is when a particular response is make, it will be followed by a particular stimulus event. Operant conditioning is one of the phenomena happen most frequently in our daily life. Visual by author Fig 7: Diagram of Operant Conditioning 2.2..1 Reinforcement The learner discovered that in order to a make particular action, the learner’s will have to make a particular response. Guinn, Allen & Richard ( 2000, p99) explained that the experimental chamber from the B.F Skinner which is called the “Skinner box” is used for many studies in operant conditioning. He placed a rat inside a glass box that contained a lever and a food tray. The animal was allowed to explore the box freely. If the rat ¬¬ presses down on the lever, a pellet of food automatically dropped into the tray. A timer connected to the bar recorded the number of presses the rat made while in the box. Pressing the bar was the response to be learned (the operant response) and the food pellet was the stimulus consequence (or reinforcement). Skinner discovered that by rewarding the rat with food each time it pressed the bar, the rate of presses increased dramatically. The rat learned the instrumental response by being reinforced. There are two basic kinds of reinforcement: positive and negative. A positive reinforcement means a pleasant stimulus is continually conditional on the event of a desired behavior. Negative reinforcement is an unpleasant conditional on the event of desired behavior. As mentioned by Gaylin (2000, p242) reinforcement may be either positive (reward) or negative (punishment). According to Skinner, positive reinforcement tended to develop behavior in the intended direction, whereas negative reinforcement tended to have unpredictable consequences. Operant conditioning is the most frequently happen in our daily life. For example, bad behavior in children is being punished (negative reinforcement) with a clout round the ear and good behavior being rewarded (positive reinforcement) with a Mars bar. Another example that I mentioned in chapter one, the advertiser can be successfully to influence the teenager to be a brands loyalty in the development from the puberty to maturity because the source of positive reinforcement (praise by other) is appealed when they do so. Each time a stimulus is presented, a response is made, and the response is rewarded, habit strengthened. More frequent of the repetitions, the habit will be stronger. The example of operant conditioning can be seen in a final notice for disconnection from a utility supply issued by a company while I was stayed in China. When you pay the bills on time every month (conditioned response), you have the privilege of having the gas and electricity kept on (CS). But when you fail to pay a bill on time, a negative letter of disconnection will be sent out to you (punishment). You then learn that if you don't pay on time then the services will be cut off, and I'm sure you don't want that. So, you eliminate the laziness of not paying on time and motivate yourself to actually pay your bills punctually, so that a positive stimulus (gas and electricity working) can be made or achieved. Escentual Figure 8 : Gucci advertisement: Rush The another example was given by Tabas (operant conditioning n.d) of operant conditioning is an advertisement for Gucci Rush. This ad is actually a tester for Gucci's new women's fragrance. There are thousands of these types of inserts in the magazines, ranging from women Cosmopolitan to Teen Magazine. They incorporate all ages, genders, and attitudes. But, this particular Gucci ad is targeted to a more sensual and seductive woman who desires "rush" in everyday life. The objective is to receive the tester of perfume, open the side flap, and rub the fragrance slip on your wrists, neck, and other parts of body. If the smell is for you then you have just been subjected to positive reinforcement. First, you like the smell, and then, the ad caught your attention because of the desire to feel like a "free and sensual" woman in the ad. Therefore, the conditioned response to the ad and the purchasing of the product is positive and has reinforced you to make the purchase. 2.3 The contrasting of classical and instrumental conditioning There are three primary ways to differentiate forms of classical and operant conditioning. Firstly, classical conditioning involves an association between two stimulus but instrumental conditioning involves an association between a response and the resulting stimulus. Secondly, Lahey (1983,p221) mentioned that the classical conditioning usually involves reflexive, involuntary behavior that is controlled by the spinal cord or autonomic system. As mentioned by Rice (1994, pg120) operant is essentially voluntary on the part of the subject whereas classical conditioning deals with involuntary behavior therefore, in operant conditioning, the subject is active as opposed to the passive role of the subject in classical conditioning. Secondly, as Rice (1994, pg120) discussed that reinforcement strengthens responses selectively in operant conditioning while it is a neutral concept strengthens the association between behavior and response in Palvonian (classical) terms. Lastly, Rice(1994, pg120) also claimed that in classical conditioning the subject’s response is triggered by a reinforce, in contrast to operant conditioning where the response triggers the reinforcement. As I mentioned the example in the introduction, the Tommy Hilfiger Fragrance advertisement, the difference between the classical conditioning and operant conditioning are appeared in the advertisement. 2.4 Th...