Psyco 486
Learning and Behavioural Theory in
Advertising and Marketing
Advertising Psychology
• Relatively new field
• Aims
• Differences from market research
What We’re Covering
• The focus: learning and behavioural theory
• Some cross-over into cognitive content
• Applications: advertising, marketing
Why a Behavioural Approach?
Level of Investigation
Type of Learning Mechanisms
Whole organism
Behavioural
Neural circuits and
neurotransmitters
Neural systems or
networks
Neurons and synapses
Molecular, cellular
And genetic
What Psychologists Work With
• Facts
• Inferences
• Constructs
Methodological Issues
• Confounds
– Demand characteristics
– Contingency awareness
Controls
• Perceptual
– Colours, sounds, etc.
– Preferences (innate, learned)
• Subjects
• Brand exposure
• General advertising exposure
Deception
• Misdirection
• Post-study questionnaire
Techniques
• Experimental/laboratory
• Naturalistic/applied
Learning
•
•
•
•
Habituation/Sensitization
Classical Conditioning
Operant Conditioning
Observational Learning
Associations
• Linking together of:
– Events
– Memories
– Actions and consequences
• Central to study of learning and behaviour
Rules of Association for Stimuli
• Primary (Aristotle’s)
– Contiguity, similarity, contrast
• Secondary (Thomas Brown)
– Length of exposure, vividness, frequency,
consitutional differences, emotional state,
health, prior habits, freedom from strong
associations with other stimuli
Associationism
• Sensations
– Experiences
• Memory
– Ideas
• Mental representations
Hierarchy
duplex
idea
complex
idea
complex
idea
simple
idea
simple
idea
simple
idea
simple
idea
simple
idea
simple
sensation
simple
sensation
simple
sensation
simple
sensation
simple
sensation
Classical Conditioning: Basics
• Unconditional
– Stimuli and responses whose properties are not
dependent upon prior training
• Conditional (i.e., “dependent”)
– Stimuli and responses whose properties occur
only after training
• US, UR, CS, CR
• Associations
Stimulus-Substitution
• CS takes properties of US
• CR equals/approximates UR
Sign Tracking
• Basics
• Supports stimulus substitution
• Behavioural categories/classes
Preparatory Response Theory
• Allows body to prepare for future event
• Based on past experience
• Survival value
Nature of the CR-UR
• Compensatory CRs
• SOP and AESOP models
Temporal Arrangement
Short Delay
Long Delay
Trace
Simultaneous
Backwards