Perception

Perception

11/25/2011 5:21 AM Consumer Behavior 5th Trisemester J Kavita 1

Perception

• A process by which individuals organize and
interpret their sensory impressions in order to
give meaning to their environment


Elements of Perception
• Sensation
• The absolute threshold
• The differential threshold
• Subliminal perception


Sensation

• It is the immediate and direct response of the
sensory organs to stimuli.
• In marketing parlance stimuli include brand
names, advertisement, colors, sounds,
packaging etc.
• First reflex to any marketing stimuli or ad is
known as sensation .
• Stimulus received by any of the 5 senses is
sensation .

Sensation

• Advertising appealing to the consumer’s
senses.
• Marketers use bright colors , innovative
concepts ,different visual effects to catch the
attention of consumer’s.
• Focus on increasing the sensory inputs


VISUALLY
PERCEPTIVE

Customers

VERBALLY
PERCEPTIVE


Absolute Threshold

The lowest level at which an individual can
experience a sensation.
The point at which a person can detect a
difference between “something” and “nothing
"is that persons absolute threshold.


Absolute Threshold
• Lowest degree of sensory inputs at which the
consumer becomes aware of a sensation is
called absolute threshold.
Example:
Jingle played in crowded place on a week day:
- The morning – No effect
- The evening – Better effect


Differential Threshold

• The minimal difference that can be detected
between two stimuli. Also known as the j.n.d.
(just noticeable difference).


Differential threshold or just noticeable
difference
• Ads to be designed to have at least those
many sensory inputs as will initiate a
sensation in the consumer


Weber’s Law

• A theory concerning the perceived
differentiation between similar stimuli of
varying intensities (i.e., the stronger the initial
stimulus, the greater the additional intensity
needed for the second stimulus to be
perceived as different).


Marketing Applications of the JND
• Need to determine the relevant j.n.d. for their
products
– so that negative changes are not readily
discernible to the public
– so that product improvements are very apparent
to consumers


Subliminal Perception

• Perception of very weak or rapid stimuli
received below the level of conscious
awareness.


Subliminal Perception
• Subliminal perception:
– Occurs when the stimulus is below the level of the
consumer’s awareness.
• Subliminal techniques:
– Embeds: Tiny figures that are inserted into magazine:
advertising by using high-speed photography or
airbrushing.
There is little evidence that subliminal stimuli can bring
about desired behavioral changes.
Ethics in using subliminal perception


Subliminal Messages in Ads
• Critics of subliminal
persuasion often focus on
ambiguous shapes in
drinks the use of this
technique.

Supraliminal Perception

• Perception of stimuli that are above the level
of conscious awareness is called supraliminal
perception which is generally known as
perception.


The Perception Process

Selective Exposure
Random Deliberate

Selective Attention
Low involvement High Involvement

Selective Interpretation
Low involvement High Involvement

Memory
Short-term Long-term


1.Exposure
Selective perception
– Selective exposure
– Selective attention
– Perceptual defense
– Perceptual blocking


Step-1 Selective exposure
• Consumers actively seek out messages that
they find pleasant or with which they are
sympathetic ,and they actively avoid painful or
threatening ones.


CONTROLLING ZAPPING AND ZIPPING

 TV advertisers have to cope with ‘Zapping’ (switching across TV channels
with remote control, or completely switching off for some seconds then
switching on again);
 and ‘Zipping’ (fast-forwarding the ad part when playing pre-recorded
cassettes / CD / DVD on a VCR / VCP or DVD player).
 Research shows that increased levels of clutter reduce effectiveness of
individual ads.
 There is inverse relationship between clutter and ad recall.
 Time bought on TV does not guarantee exposure, it only provides
opportunity to communicate to the audience.

Muting
• Muting is turning the sound off during
commercial breaks.


CONTROLLING ZAPPING AND ZIPPING

 The size of the audience shrinks during a commercial break (this break is
also called “pod”).

 Young adults zap more than the older adults, and men are more likely to zap
than women.
 Advertisements placed either at the beginning or the end of commercial
breaks, were less prone to be affected by clutter than the ads placed in the
middle.
 Ads of high-involvement nature were also less prone to be affected by clutter
than low-involvement ads.
 Advertisers can control the problem of zapping and zipping to some extent by
creating ads that are highly entertaining and interesting from the audience’s
point of view.

Selective Attention

• Consumers are likely to note ads for products
that would satisfy their needs and disregard
those in which they have no interest.


Attention and Advertising


Perceptual Defense

• Consumers subconsciously screen out stimuli
that they find psychologically threatening
even though exposure has already taken
place.
• Perceptual defense happens for ads with
intense fear appeals.
• Ex : Ads on wearing helmets, smoking


Perceptual Blocking

• Consumers protect themselves from being
bombarded with stimuli by simply “tuning
out” that is blocking such stimuli from
conscious awareness. (channel switching
during commercial break)


2.Attention
I. Stimulus
II. Individual factors
III. Situational factors


ELEMENTS OF ADS THAT ATTRACT ATTENTION

Four reasons for getting attention to information:
 Information that may be highly useful for a person
 Information that supports the audience’s opinion about some
tangible or intangible thing
 Stimulating information
 Interesting information as per the audience.

ELEMENTS OF ADS THAT ATTRACT ATTENTION

 People readily expose themselves to information that has practical value for
them.
 Headlines that promise something attract attention
 A new model in a familiar product category and different features catches
attention
 Ad Copy must be short and punchy
 Consumers actively search information, in case of high-involvement product
category, when uncertainty and risk is high.
 Attention is obtained when an object is significantly different from what it
should be, i.e. a novelty item, or something unexpected, as people like to
have a change.

AD CHARACTERISTICS THAT ATTRACT ATTENTION

 Large, full-page ads with colour attract more attention than smaller black and
white ads.
 The ad copy phrased in concrete and specific terms attracts more attention
than the one phrased in abstract terms.
 Ads placed on upper half of the left side page gets more attention.
 Ads placed on the back of magazines, front inside cover and inside of back
cover, attract more reader attention.
 Ads that are surprising or funny are more likely to be read.

3.Interpretation Or Comprehension
 Attention alone is not enough, the ad message needs to be understood
(i.e. comprehension).
 Possession of some prior knowledge about the product makes it easier for
consumers to comprehend additional information.
 Good comprehension of ad message by the audience is extremely
important for persuasion to occur.
 Simple recall of an ad does not necessarily enhance audience
comprehension.
 Consumer's comprehension may be purely objective or may add
subjective inputs.

COMPREHENSION
 Gestalt psychology explains that stimuli are perceived as a whole and
hence what is important is to consider the whole ad because it has a
meaning that is distinct from its individuals.
 Three most basic principles of perceptual organization are:
 Figure and Ground
 Grouping, and
 Closure


Stimulus Organization
• A stimulus will be interpreted based on its assumed
relationship with other events, sensations, or images.
• Closure Principle:
– People tend to perceive an incomplete picture as
complete.
• Principle of Similarity:
– Consumers tend to group together objects that share the
same physical characteristics.
• Figure-ground Principle:
– One part of a stimulus will dominate (the figure) and other
parts will recede into the background (the ground).

FIGURE AND GROUND
 The ‘figure’ is usually perceived clearly as it appears to be well
defined, solid and in the forefront.
 The ‘ground’ (background) is perceived as indefinite, hazy, and
continuous.
 The common line separating the figure and ground is perceived as
part of the figure rather than the ground.
 Learning may affect which stimuli will be perceived as the figure
and which as ground.
 Perceptual organisation is influenced by motives and expectations
based on experience of individuals.
 Advertisers should plan their ads to ensure that the stimulus is
perceived by the audience as figure and not as ground.


GROUPING
 Individuals have a tendency to ‘group stimuli
automatically’, so that they form a unified whole
picture or impression.
 This facilitates the individuals memory and recall.
 Advertisers can use grouping to imply certain
desired meanings with regard to the advertised
product.
 It also helps to remove any ambiguity from
stimuli.


CLOSURE
 Another Gestalt principle says that individuals have a
need for closure and, as a result of this, consumers
have a conscious or subconscious urge to fill up the
missing portion in a picture or message.
 When consumers hear a familiar jingle associated
with a brand, they complete the missing message in
their mind.
 This act of message completion serves to involve the
audience more deeply, often resulting in enhanced
learning.


Perception

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