Introduction
What are the principles
of compliance that underpin the motivation for advertisements subliminally
hiding sex and death symbols? How is each of us influenced in our
decision making process by short cutting the rational thinking mind?
This article will examine perceptual defense mechanisms, strategies
of compliance, and mechanistic means to produce controlled responses.
Further, we'll consider
the ethics of compliance. When is the technical use of compliance
strategies necessary, appropriate and ethical? What is the fine line
separating "exploitation" from doing a "good job" motivating people,
selling product, or influencing those around us?
COMPLIANCE
There are many psychological
principles used to influence each of us every day. Some of these manipulative
applications are direct and obvious, while others are so subtle as
to be noticeable only to the trained professional. In fact, there
is little that one encounters free of a compliance procedure. The
reasons are obvious. If each of us can be made vulnerable then we
can be made to act. We'll buy product, join clubs, even allow some
stranger to put a bill board on our front lawns without a payment
of any kind. Sound ridiculous?
Governments, social psychologists
and merchandisers have long studied the methods of compliance. For
even longer, these methods have been used to merchandise and herd
the masses.
Human beings need a reason
to act. History is full of accounts reporting the most unlikely of
events. From the German attempt to eradicate the Jewish people to
the mass suicide of the Jim Jones' followers, history shows people
acting in the most unusual and bizarre manners. Why? They have a reason.
When I was much younger,
I sold sewing machines and vacuum cleaners door to door. In those
days, something called "bait and switch" was legal, or I should say,
it wasn't illegal. This practice consisted of an offer just too good
to be true. Let me provide an example. In the early 1960's credit
depended upon deposit. Thus, one needed a down payment. In those days
it was 10%. With credit freely available, the most difficult part
of making a sale became the down payment. The company I worked for
designed a sales system to obtain this down payment. How was this
done?
Through different media,
the customer would enter a contest. A drawing at the local grocery
store, a "count the hidden faces" contest in the Sunday paper, and
so forth. The first place prize was awarded, but everyone else won
second prize. What was second prize? A coupon worth $170. on the purchase
of a new zigzag sewing machine that was nationally advertised (usually
in a popular home magazine) for only $199.99. So, for only $29.99
every second place winner could enjoy the many benefits of owning
their own new zigzag sewing machine! Such a deal!
Here was the catch, however.
The machine purchased for $29.99 was a piece of junk. However, in
the trunk of the automobile was a new top of the line machine that
advertised nationally for $499. By trading in the machine you just
purchased, this best of all machines could be yours for only $299.,
and the ten percent deposit was already paid. Therefore, your payments
would only be $10.00 per month. Hence, even though you only paid $29.99
for the first machine, you would receive its full nationally advertised
price as the trade in value. Wow---what a deal! And believe me, this
type of selling worked so well that eventually it became illegal.
And by the way, I should point out that the national ads were placed
only for this purpose. No one ever actually tried to buy one of these
machines at the advertised inflated price.
Before I was twenty, I
left the door to door sales game and went to work for a major retailer.
They too used bait and switch tactics, but with a new language. An
automatic dryer might be advertised for $88. The dryer was said to
be "nailed down." This was another way of instructing the sales staff
that the dryer was not to be sold. Oh, if the customer absolutely
insisted, sellit. However, if you sold it, know that it was because
you were an incapable salesperson. Therefore, you might consider another
line of work. Sell too many of these $88. units, and you would be
encouraged to work elsewhere. Not for selling $88. machines, of course,
but for being so incompetent.
The retailer sold away
from the "bait" using a technique called "selling up by selling down."
For example, John Customer would be shown the most expensive dryer
in the house with emphasis on all the added feature/benefits, saving
the $400 price tag for last. Then, in an act of "honesty", the salesman
might say, "You know, I'm not paid to talk you out of spending money,
but I have a dryer over here that is new. It's last years model. Nothing
is different. It's the same dryer as this years model. The console
looks a little different. What's more, I can save you over a hundred
dollars. The dryer does everything I have just shown you, but it costs
over a hundred dollars less. Now it's up to you, would you prefer
to spend the extra money and have this years model?"
Notice that the sales
pitch does two things. First, it positions the customer toward compliance.
This is accomplished using two principles of compliance. The salesman
has acted in an honest way. He might even add, "I like you and didn't
want to show you this dryer at first, because we only have one left.
And I didn't want you to think that I was just saying that to pressure
you into buying." John Customer has just received a false message
of integrity, but few will respond to the message for what it is.
Why? Because we all want to be liked and we all want a deal.
The second item the sales
presentation accomplished was to focus John Customer's attention on
less. Forget that this dryer is $249., or over $160. more than the
advertised $88. dryer. No, the focus now is on less, over a hundred
dollars less than the dryer capable of doing all the wonderful things
John Customer and his wife want the dryer to do.
When I joined this retail
organization, there were basically three defined components for training.
They were knowledge (product knowledge), enthusiasm and motivation.
What I found lacking was technique. Quickly my sales record attracted
attention. I was promoted. Now I trained salespeople. Sales increased.
Why? Because technique suggests there are rules by which one can position
a person to comply with a request. Let me provide a few examples.
One of the principles
of compliance is consistency. People like to be internally consistent
and to appear externally consistent. Therefore, when a customer entered
the appliance department with a question such as, "Do you have this
refrigerator in harvest gold?", instead of simply answering the question,
"Yes", the salespeople were instructed to convert the question into
a close. This was done by stating a question, "Do you want it in harvest
gold?" Of course most people responded with, "yes." Why? Because it
is the only answer they could give without implying that they're simply
wasting time, yours and theirs. Once this decision has been made and
publicly stated, the need to remain consistent forces the individual
to answer the next question, "Is Tuesday or Thursday better for delivery?"
The sale is made. There is no need to talk about refrigerators and
the customer has never been asked to buy. The sale is assumed from
the question/answer method of alternative decision making. "Yes, I
want it in gold and Tuesday would be better."
When I left the sales
business I found myself in various intelligence, security and interrogation
schools. Ultimately I became licensed as a deception detection (lie
detector) examiner. In both my former capacities as an investigator
and as a lie detection examiner, I have employed various compliance
techniques in interrogation. Have you ever wondered, why on earth
would someone confess to a crime that would lock them away for years
to come? What would cause a person to give up evidence that convicted
them? Let me show you something very simple which positions a person
to commit perjury. It is intentionally designed to cause that same
person to lie. Later it is used to control and direct this same person's
need to prove their honesty, sincerity and justify the reasoning involved
for committing a crime. It is the principle of little commitments
lead to big commitments.
Imagine that you have
come in for a lie detection test. The examiner looks you straight
in the eye, a firm look followed by a warm smile, and says, "You didn't
come here to lie to me, did you?"
Of course, you answer,
"No."
The examiner continues,
"So you intend to tell me the truth today?"
"Yes."
"Good, because you look
like an honest person and I'm on your side. We can use this test to
prove your innocence. You do want that don't you?"
"Yes." (After all, what
else are you going to say even if you did the bad deed).
"Okay, I'm going to trust
you. You look like a good person. I am going to cover all the questions
that I will ask you today before I ever ask them in the test. I want
to review them with you carefully, and if anything about that question
bothers you, let's discuss it. Now that's important, because if it
bothers you, I'll see it in the charts, and it's probably some little
thing, maybe some outside thing that has nothing to do with this case.
So be certain, if it bothers you, tell me. Okay?"
"Sure."
Okay now, you're not the
kind of person that lies and steals. Right?"
"Right."
"So, you wouldn't lie
to someone that trusted you or steal from a person like that---would
you?"
"No!"
"Good. I am going to ask
you today the following two questions. Did you ever lie to someone
who trusted you? Later, I'll ask the question, "Did you steal anything,
say between the ages of ten and twenty?"
The forgoing dialogue
involves many principles of compliance. To the examiner, everyone
lies to their mother, their father, their spouse or someone that trusts
them, at some point in their lives. It is almost a certainty that
everyone has stolen something, even if it's just small change from
their siblings. The examiner has therefore placed the examinee in
a position that can be easily exploited for more than one purpose.
Why would this be the usual practice? We'll take a look at the principles
of compliance for our answer, but first, allow me to digress and present
what I often term as "cognitive engineering."
The idea in cognitive
engineering is straight forward and contained in the name. "Let's
engineer the cognitive process by altering fundamental beliefs." In
behavioral circles this technology is called "cognitive behavioral
therapy." The term was coined by Albert Ellis (1988). Ellis asserted
that certain behaviors were the direct consequence of belief. His
A-B-C model is most useful in conceptualizing both the theory and
its implications. For Ellis:
A---------------------->
B------------------> C (Activating event) (Belief) (Consequence/ emotional
& behavioral)
Thus, alter a belief and
the event is interpreted differently while simultaneously altering
the consequence. This simple diagram is most useful for understanding
the force underlying the principles of compliance. Implicit in this
simple model rests the the power of subliminal communication and its
ability to activate or alter a belief.
Social beliefs are among
the strongest beliefs of the individual. It is social beliefs that
most often conflict with individual desires. It is social beliefs
that provide the very fabric of social interest. Playing these beliefs,
desires and conflicts, like a composer on a grand piano, is the merchandiser
and profiteer. Social beliefs, selfish interest, and their conflict,
form the bedrock of compliance principles.
A compliance principle
is simply a stimuli which produces a socially acceptable response.
It is precisely for reason that compliance principles are so powerful.
While not all authors
agree on the designation or number of general compliance principles,
there are ten important ones used on all of us each day that everyone
should be alert to. They are: consistency, reciprocity, social proof,
association, conditioning, liking, authority, scarcity, drives and
justification.
In the beginning of this
chapter I suggested that someone could engineer a situation where
you would place a bill board on your front lawn without so-called
quid pro quo (equal consideration). Robert Cialdini, in his most recommended
book, INFLUENCE, tells a of just this. A group of homeowners were
asked to sign a petition to "keep California beautiful" by a "volunteer
worker." A couple of weeks later, these same homeowners were approached
by a different "volunteer" and asked to place a billboard on their
front yard advertising safe driving. The chief researchers, Jonathon
Freedman and Scott Fraser, discovered that 76% of the persons who
signed the petition were willing to display the billboard, as opposed
to 17% who had never been asked to sign the petition. The first act
of compliance, signing an innocent petition, apparently produced significant
feelings of civic mindedness and involvement. This first innocent
decision led to the second, for the vast majority, due to the need
to be consistent, and the need to justify one's actions. Thus, a small
commitment led to a larger one.
Studies have shown that
the act of gift giving produces the need to reciprocate. I remember
when "little green pigs" were sold this way. It was the practice of
a certain vacuum cleaner company to give a one quart bottle of your
favorite soft drink (Coca-cola, Pepsi, etc.) to everyone that answered
their door. The pitch began with something like "I have a gift for
you. Which of these drinks is your favorite?" Your choice was given
to you and while the bottle remained in your hand, the sales team
in your doorway, the next line came, "Have you heard of the little
green pig?" From here on your answers only worsened the situation
unless you truly desired to spend a large part of your evening hearing
all about the vacuum cleaner to end all vacuum cleaners. Once the
gift was accepted, a certain obligation was incurred. The least you
could do was give these young people five minutes of your time to
hear about the "little green pig."
Reciprocity is commonly
used in many forms for compliance purposes. From the so-called "warm
handshake" to the "free" everythings offered today, a gift extended
implies a gift needed in return.
Social proof is the idea
that where many agree, it must be right. Or, in the alternative, it
must be good, desirable, and so forth. As a result, modern merchandisers
enlist testimony after testimony from faithful satisfied users to
sell us their wares. Carnival hucksters seed their audience with winners
of the "big panda bear." Merchants of religion often sew the seeds
of a mass conversion by enlisting an army of devoted followers to
"come forth at varying intervals to create the impression of a spontaneous
mass outpouring." (Cialdini, 1993).
Association seeks to link
favorable feelings, attitudes, etc. with a product or aim. We all
know of the politician with apple pie, babies and the American flag
in the background. We have all seen advertisers place stunning men
and women in the most unlikely of places, with the most unlikely of
apparel, just to connect this image (usually sexual) with their product.
However, as with all of these principles, there is much more than
just the obvious. Take for instance a study that sought to measure
the influence of major credit card logos on buying. This study, carried
out by Richard Feinberg, showed that subjects were willing to spend
29% more on mail order items when a master card logo was present in
the room. Another study by the same researcher showed that college
students were more likely to give money to charity if the master card
logo was present in the room. This despite the fact that credit cards
were not accepted. Further, the statistical difference is striking.
33% of the students gave to charity where there was no credit card
logo in the room while 87% gave when the logo was present. Just the
association increased spending. (1986).
One association seldom
overlooked by advertisers is that of sound. Television producers use
canned humor to punctuate comedy. Those of us old enough to remember
the Marlboro television commercial, remember the theme from the movie,
The Magnificent Seven. My own work has often concentrated in an area
I call "audio cuing". Sound, particularly music, has long been observed
to have affective power. In fact, Leonard Bernstein once said something
like sound moves upon the primordial nature of a person in a non-discursive
feeling way.
One of my own research
projects, working with a Nevada company, involves the sounds a slot
machine makes. For example, does the sound of money falling into a
metal tray attract players? At this point, we think so. Are there
sounds that will increase play time while leaving the player with
a sense of having fun, even if they are losing money? We think so.
Nevertheless, don't be too awful casual about even the most innocent
of features that accompany a product or advertisement. The company's
behind them spend billions annually doing what they do with very deliberate
and skillful knowledge of what works on you.
Conditioning and association
are combined by some authors (Cialdini, 1992) for obvious reasons.
Take for example the credit card logo study. The association of credit
card to pleasure, a principle of conditioning, is assumed. Indeed,
when prior experience with a credit card is negative, the effects
on spending are reversed. (Feinberg, 1990). I choose to separate these
two principles simply because classical conditioning can and has been
accomplished via subliminal stimuli. (For a complete discussion of
subliminal conditioning see Subliminal Learning: An Eclectic Approach
by this author). The principle of association implies at least some
conscious recognition of the stimuli. Subliminal stimuli violates
this assumption. In other words, although the stimuli is associated
with a response, as with classical conditioning, the fact remains
that the stimuli itself is unrecognized by the conscious mind. For
example, when the faces of individuals are repeatedly presented subliminally
to subjects, the subjects become more comfortable with the individual.
Indeed, the more frequently the subliminal exposure the greater the
liking for the individual when they later met. This despite the fact
that subjects had no conscious awareness of the subliminally presented
faces. (Bornstein, Leone, & Galley, 1987).
There are many forms of
association that can be presented in such a manner as to bypass one's
awareness. Not all of these forms are by definition subliminal. Additionally,
there are perceptual defense mechanisms that figuratively serve at
times to blindfold each of us. These basic mechanisms will be discussed
later in this chapter. Suffice it to say, that as with the associations
that are intentionally built into the advertisement, reviewed in the
prior chapter, certain consciously undetected associations can operate
on existing conditioning and be paired to produce new conditioning.
Liking is a fundamental
principle in compliance. The more each of us identifies with another,
feels comfortable with that other, the more compliant we are about
their requests. In fact, this principle is so obvious that discussion
seems ridiculous. However, there are a couple of nuances to the liking
principle that not everyone is familiar with. One of these is the
mechanical nature by which liking often operates. The new science
of Neuro Linguistic Programming teaches the mechanical power of mirroring
and matching. This is a process of simply imitating the speaking style,
physical mannerisms and so forth of an individual. NLP, as the technology
is often referred to, is now taught without discretion to everyone
from sales organizations to health care professionals. This is a powerful
technology that operates almost as mechanically as the typical knee
jerk response. (For more information see Frogs into Princes by Richard
Bandler and John Grinder). Since this book is not about compliance,
per se', or NLP, for that matter, suffice it to say that the ability
to build rapport, increase liking and so on is so enhanced by NLP
technology that nearly every trained interrogator in the country has
had some training in it.
Second, liking is enhanced
and facilitated often under conditions of cooperation. We are all
familiar with the common enemy strategy, or the politics make for
strange bed fellows truism, but most are not aware of how subtle this
process can be. Take for example a new cold or flu medication. How
many times do we see a television commercial that opens with, "It's
flu season and there is a new dreaded enemy virus. It's coming to
your town! It may find you. Never fear, XYZ is here." First, the advertisement
threatens with a new enemy and then makes a common distinction, a
common enemy, out of the threat. Next the commercial promises relief,
allegiance, from your friendly medicine. In fact, often, the rewards
portrayed for becoming ill appear to outweigh the advantages in remaining
healthy. In my view, this is an insidious abuse of compliance principles.
I believe that advertisements of this nature sell sickness. In fact,
I have often imagined a scenario to test this theme. Go to the American
public with all the tools of compliance. Have an actor dressed like
a doctor inform the public that a new disease has just been identified.
The symptoms of this disease must be general, so they consist of tiredness,
fatigue, restless sleep, lack of motivation, occasional headaches,
some general aching especially in the back and limbs, sometimes dry
skin and are accompanied by irritability and depression. Explain the
disease as not formerly diagnosed, although very common. Further,
enhance and embellish the explanation with estimates of the great
numbers of people who may suffer from this disease and never be treated.
Now, provide a simple reason for the disease such as an imbalance
in chemicals produced by the thyroid which results in low normal body
temperature. Show how slight changes in the body temperature affect
the metabolism by directly influencing the proper operation of enzymes.
Finally, offer the remedy as an affordable pill or liquid that will
restore proper temperature to the body. Watch the good ol' folks in
America rush to their pharmacy. You don't think it's possible? I do!
Authority, authority,
authority. Rings kind of like the adage regarding the secret of retail
success: location, location, location! Everywhere one turns today,
it is the authority that instructs, the authority that informs, the
authority with which we come to trust our very lives. What was the
world possibly like before there were so many different authorities?
In the 1960's, Professor
Stanley Milgram performed an experiment that most of us have at least
heard of. Milgram arranged for volunteers to deliver electric shock
to other so-called volunteers (research cohorts) in voltage amounts
up to 450 volts. Even when the subject receiving the shock protested
with cries of pain and warnings of a heart condition, so long as the
authority, the research scientist in his white coat, insisted upon
more shock, the volunteers delivered it. The authorities power was
so awesome as to produce physical evidence of severe psychological
conflict in some of the volunteers who obediently carried out the
instructions to deliver more voltage. (1963).
Cialdini relates the research
findings of Hofling, Brotzman, Dalrymple, Graves & Pierce, as reported
in the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 1966. In this study
22 separate nurses' stations were phoned by researchers. The nurse
answering the phone was instructed by the caller, who represented
himself as a doctor, to administer 20 milligrams of the drug, Astrogen,
to a patient. In 95% of the cases, the nurse carried out the instruction
although she had never met, seen or before spoken with the doctor.
Further, the drug prescribed by the researchers was not on the approved
drug list of the hospital, and the dosage was twice that of the maximum
daily dose (10 milligrams) clearly printed on the container. (1992,
p.183). Now, before you become too alarmed, the researchers stopped
the nurses before they actually administered the drug. Okay, but somehow
that doesn't make me feel too awful comfortable. The nurse is a trained
professional who under orders from an authority somehow subverts all
of her training and blindly follows instructions. That's disturbing!
Everything in the world
is sold to us on the basis of authority. We must rely on authority
at some time in our modern society. Yet blind reliance is absolute
ignorance. Fortunately, more and more people are becoming suspicious
of authorities.
Scarcity is the oldest
sales line any of us have ever heard. This is the last one, better
make up your mind. Act now, limited quantity. Don't delay, don't miss
out. Time is limited, sale ends blank day. Hurry---first come first
serve. These are but a few of the scarcity statements we all find
in advertisements for everything from pickles to pantyhose. Why is
the compliance principle of scarcity so powerful? In a word: greed!
There is an adage that
applies here, "The grass is always greener on the other side of the
pasture." Everyone wants what they don't have, at least until they
have it. Rare, scarce, and so on equal value for most. Of course,
the social proof is also evident here. The greater the demand, the
scarcer the product. The product must be good or it wouldn't be in
such demand.
No one wants to miss out
on a deal. Everyone has heard of some once in a lifetime deal that
was missed or passed over. Scarcity drives prices up and motivates
consumers to spend. However, not all scarcity is a matter of limited
time, short supplies and so on. No, there is another kind of scarcity
that is also promoted by manipulators of compliance principles.
When I was conducting
interrogations the scarcity of honesty was often invoked. After all,
honesty knows no such thing as percentages. It either is or is not.
Like fidelity, most people are not interested in a spouse that is
90% faithful. The missing 10% will get you every time. Promoting the
idea that it is difficult for a person to be honest, while identifying
the rare honesty of the examinee, positions a person to perform honestly.
By contrast, promoting the idea of clarity as a rare factor in the
decision process, increases both the possibilities for rationalization
(justification) and the tolerance for error. Scarcity, like the other
principles of compliance, has many subtle varieties not so easily
seen through even by the trained individual.
Still another tactic of
scarcity is the "no longer available" notion inherent to such ideas
as banned. Book publishers know that one of the best ways to sell
books is to find some group to ban the book.
Drives are the basic built
in needs of the species. In psychology, human drives are often referred
to as the four "F's." The drives are: fight, flight, feeding and f---let's
say the propagation of the species. I like to think that human drives
have evolved, especially since the advent of modern merchandising
and deferred payment. Consequently, my view incorporates five "f's,"
or five forces. The fifth "f," I call the fifth force. What is the
fifth force? Simple: MORE! Add to food, fight, etc., the fifth force,
more! No one has enough. Everyone wants more. More has somehow become
a sought after quality. It isn't just a matter of quantity. Today
the word more equals power, prestige, status, peace of mind, and so
on. More now means quality as much as it means quantity.
Compliance experts know
how to tap into and use these drives just as they do with the principles
of compliance. Indeed, I recently caught part of a program on television
while flicking my remote to get away from a commercial. In a sort
of pseudo-scientific way, an actress presented herself in a short
skirt and tight top to passers-by leaving a mall. She asked various
men to assist her in carrying her bags eight blocks. They all agreed
to help, even one witha bad back that was only planning to go one
block. So what's new about that? Birds and the bees, right? Exactly.
Still, when this same actress dressed differently, padding her garments
to appear fat, she was unable to enlist the aid of anyone. Again,
so what? That's sad, but it shouldn't come as a surprise. Correct?
However, there was one other factor that was blatantly obvious. When
the actress put on her "fat" clothes, her entire demeanor changed.
Apparently, she had a stereotype in her mind and that must have been
of a repugnant personality. In her short skirt, the facial expressions
and body language portrayed not just sexuality, but vulnerability.
When a compliance practitioner
wishes to persuade someone in a manner that is not obvious, tactics
employing drive related strategies will invariably invoke vulnerability,
non-dominance, loyalty, and so on. If it's scary (flight), violent
(fight), filling/fulfilling (food), and/or sexual, it sells. If all
of the above can be combined, sales soar! If a product is really none
of these things, then associating it with them will enhance sales
and product image. In fact, Cialdini reports a study conducted by
Smith and Engel where "men who saw a new-car ad that included a seductive
female model rated the car as faster, more appealing, more expensive-looking,
and better-designed than men who viewed the same ad without the model".
(1992, p.156). Further, these same men, when questioned about the
ad and their response, denied the possibility that the seductive female
had anything to do what so ever with their rating of the automobile.
Justification is the principle
that acts on the rule that extenuating circumstances can justify radical
actions. Indeed, a tenant of our jurisprudence system allows for just
this. That is why there are such acts as justifiable homicide, self-defense,
etc. This principle is probably the most often over-looked compliance
tool. However, an excellent example of its power exists in an older
television commercial. The viewer sees a woman performing the many
tasks of an absolutely frantic day; shopping, cleaning, caring for
the children, banking, and so forth. At the end of the day, she (a
very beautiful and seductive woman) relaxes in her bath covered by
bubbles. The commercial advertises a bubble bath and ends with the
statement, "Let XYZ product take you away". It's an excellent commercial
and employs more than one compliance principle. Still, it is the notion
of justifying indulgence that makes this commercial so powerful. How
else do you sell bath bubbles?
Now there is a very important
note to all of this. Being informed does not necessarily remove one
from the power of these principles. The fact is, the principles obtain
most of their power on the basis that they operate automatically.
That is, their power does not arise as a result of thinking a matter
over. No, indeed, Cialdini refers to the automatic response as "click,
whirr." (1992). This automatic behavior is considered by social scientist
to be necessary, expedient, and efficient in most instances. Further,
by definition of automatic, the normal cognitive processes are bypassed.
This has been called "judgmental heuristics" and it is prevalent in
much of human behavior. (Cialdini, 1992). Simply being aware is therefore
not enough to avoid the grips of a compliance operation.
Earlier I alluded to the
role of perceptual defense mechanisms in exploitations of a non-conscious,
subconscious and unconscious nature. It should be pointed out that
these mechanisms are vital to our self interest as well as the general
species interest. So vital are they, that they accompany the human
condition in much the same manner that genes do. In other words, they
have evolved with the human animal. Further, it is the very existence
of these defense mechanisms that underlie the fabric of compliance
principles and give rise to their ability to be automatic. Indeed,
I would suggest that defense mechanisms are the building blocks of
compliance principles while society is the architect. Our own families,
peers, etc. are the brick masons, carpenters, and so forth. As such,
defense mechanisms, like compliance principles, are essential and
necessary elements in individual and social well being. In this sense,
the technicians use of these mechanisms and principles defines the
inherent "good" or "bad" usage thereof. Therefore, in certain instances,
there exists an ethical imperative requiring the skillful use of compliance
principles. For example, use of these principles by a health care
practitioner is appropriate. It is equally appropriate in marketing
provided there are no misrepresentations. Advertising moves product,
and thatmoves the economy, and that is good. However, employing these
principles to sell product while surreptitiously using imagery, such
as subliminal embeds which may increase hostility and violence, is
not only unethical, it's irresponsible. In fact, I would argue that
the continued "tweaking" of the human psyche and manipulation of the
human condition could eventually erode the very fabric of our social
order.
A brief review of the
mechanisms is now appropriate. First, however, let me remind the reader
that the information offered here on compliance principles is but
a fragment of the data available. It is intended only as an overview
designed to be facilitative in understanding the why's behind certain
forms of manipulation.
The basic perceptual defense
mechanisms follow:
1. Denial. As implied
by its name, this mechanism is simply one of denying. Often the denial
occurs through projection, that is, projecting blame or fault onto
another. We can see this mechanism at work when insincere compliments
are accepted as genuine. Since each of us has a basic desire to be
liked, we may deny the possibility that we are being "stroked." In
the alternative, the skeptic may deny a sincere compliment.
2. Fantasy formation.
This mechanism creates a perceived reality out of fantasy. If motives
cannot be satisfied in the objective external world, they may become
a perceived reality in a dream world. Some psychologists suggest that
the appeal for much of our entertainment is oriented to satisfying
our fantasies for adventure, affection, and security.
3. Introjection. This
mechanism allows one to place blame on oneself. This self-directed
blame or punishment defends against disappointment or disillusionment
in another. For example, a child feels unworthy of the parent's attention
because the parent pays no attention to the child. It is often this
mechanism that perpetuates the acceptance of authoritarian guidance
even when it persistently has erred in the past. A subtle, yet pervasive
form of this mechanism, goes like this, "I'm not smart enough. I must
have misunderstood something."
4. Isolation. This mechanism
involves the avoidance of connecting associations to related ideas
that produce anxiety. One set of data is isolated from an associated
set: birth is isolated from death, war from mourning, nuclear arsenals
from murderous horror, and so on. If you think back to the blonde
and the automobile rating, the men rating the automobile had isolated
the blonde from the formation of their rating. To acknowledge otherwise
would be is self threatening. Therefore, it is easy to see how this
mechanism can be used in the pairing of associations that have no
natural relationship such as birth and death.
5. Projection. Simply
stated, this mechanism allows one to project blame or responsibility
onto another. Further, it provides the ability to project intention,
attitude, etc. onto another. Take the actress who in her short skirt
was able to enlist the aid of nearly every male passerby. What do
you think their fantasy formation information projected onto the actress
had to do with their willingness to heft heavy packages for a great
distance? Indeed, there can be a fine line between normal and pathological
projection, for many rapist have the attitude that the victim "really
wanted it".
6. Regression. This mechanism
is common during serious illness. Essentially, one regresses to an
earlier age, usually as a dependent, where he felt safe and comfortable.
The individual usually returns to an earlier stage of development
where someone else assumed responsibility and where fewer, simpler,
and more primitive goals existed. This mechanism is intimately involved
with approaches such as the one taken in the bubble bath commercial
discussed earlier. It is also involved in the "flu-ads" as well as
some of the "gusto" advertisements. Pampering, spoiling, care free
desires and so on are the elements of ad campaigns that appeal to
this mechanism.
7. Repression. This mechanism
censors or prohibits memories, associations, and adjustments from
conscious awareness. Like an invisible filter, this mechanism prevents
the conscious mind from "seeing" painful memories and "stymied" motives.
Personal experiences ranging from embarrassment to cruelty are often
subject to the lens of repression. Social enculturation plays a significant
role here likewise. For example, it can be asserted that one of the
reasons one fails to see a large penis in a bourbon ad, is simply
relative to the dirty mind argument. To see the penis entails admitting
to a dirty mind. So, don't see it, or at least repress the awareness
from the conscious mind.
As an interesting aside
here, I remember showing a slide of a Playboy magazine advertisement
to a group of inmates at the Utah State Prison. The ad portrayed a
beautiful woman in her birthday suit holding a Christmas wreath. Through
the middle of the wreath was a banner that said, "Give him ideas for
Christmas." The wreath was made up of penis heads, vaginas and so
forth. Yet not one inmate recognized them as other than funny looking
holiday nuts, until they had been shown what they were looking at.
8. Sublimation. This mechanism
redirects basic drive mechanisms. Sublimation is simply the substitution
of acceptable behavior to satisfy basic motives that might be met
equally well in a primitive sense by some form of unacceptable social
behavior. Aggression motives, for instance, are often met by sports
activities. The process of sublimation is to find avenues in which
basic motives may be satisfied in a manner acceptable to the individual
and society. This mechanism is most useful in the effective use of
associations, especially those of a sexual nature. A sports car, for
example, can be made into an acceptable social sexual experience.
In addition to these eight
mechanisms, there are several miscellaneous escapes and defenses that
some theorists consider as contributing to the basic perceptual defenses
outlined above, all for the purpose of showing each of us only what
we want, or can psychologically afford, to see about ourselves and
the world around us.
Compliance professionals
are very aware of both the principles and the perceptual defenses
outlined in this chapter. Perhaps now, the real power of the advertisement
shown in chapter one is just a little clearer.
It would be a gross over
sight to leave the subject of compliance without discussing altered
states of consciousness, also referred to by professionals as, "states
of heightened suggestibility." In my earlier work, Subliminal Communication,
I outlined some of the ways in which advertisers, religious organizations,
popular movements, etc. employ suggestibility techniques discovered
and developed in the field of hypnosis. The intent here is not to
redo that material, but simply to reinforce the awareness of its use.
The reader should be advised that music rhythms, eye elevations and
fixations, flashing sequences of a light intensity difference, and
so have hypnotic effects. Indeed, the practice of NLP discussed earlier,
was itself a discovery credited Milton Ericson during his hypnotic
research. Suffice it to say, if you feel like you're in a light trance
when you're watching television, you don't hear your spouse speaking
to you, and so on, you probably are.
One of the favored techniques
of many hypnotherapists is "indirect suggestio n". This is a powerful
means to bring about compliance. It operates chiefly through internal
decisions. A very simple form of this exists in alternative decision
closes. For example, the salesmen never asks for the sale, he simply
turns the contract around, and says, "Do you wish to use your pen
or mine?" A hypnotechnician may have one imagine a magnet on their
forehead and another in the palm of the hand. In an attempt to produce
an arm levitation, a common induction procedure, they ask the subject
to sense the magnets and decide, "Is the magnetic force stronger from
the hand to the head or from the head to the hand?" In other words,
which is the strongest magnet? The decision does not matter, the outcome
is that a magnetic force has been acknowledged, Internal consistency
requires that the two forces will pull the hand to the head. Wa-la,
the hypnotist has control of one's body.
One last note. Although
I am adamantly opposed to the misuse of these techniques, I nevertheless
feel that the use of these methods is inevitable and unavoidable.
However, I also feel that to level the playing field, so to speak,
the consumer, user, or person on the other end of the technique, is
entitled to the same knowledge the compliance professional has at
their disposal.
Summary
There are numerous compliance
principles that influence decisions. These principles activate automatic
processes that position a person toward compliance. Compliance professionals
use these principles to gain their ends, sell merchandise or evangelize
converts.
There are perceptual defense
mechanism which inhibit or prevent the processing of certain types
of information. The operation of these defense mechanisms explains
why so-called subliminal print advertising can present blatant sexual
material that goes undetected. The only defense against these principles
and mechanisms is information. I sincerely hope that you are now just
a little more informed.
Bibliography
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D.R., & Galley, D.J. (1987). The generalizability of subliminal mere
exposure effects. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53,
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Cialdini, R. B. (1992).
Influence: Science and Practice, third edition. Harper Collins, New
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Ellis, Albert. (1988).
How to Stubbornly Refuse to Make Yourself Miserable About Anything-Yes,
Anything. Lyle Stewart, New York, N.Y.
Feinberg, R. A. (1986).
Credit cards as spending facilitating stimuli. Journal of Consumer
Research, 13, 348-356.
Feinberg, R. A. (1990).
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Psychological Reports, 67, 331-334.
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Taylor, E. (1988). Subliminal
Learning: An Eclectic Approach. R K Book, Big Bear City, Ca.
Taylor, E. (1990). Subliminal
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