Page 176 - DMGT551_RETAIL_BUSINESS_ENVIRONMENT

Unit 9: Motivation and Perception

Sensation—Exposure to Stimuli Notes

Sensation is the immediate and direct response of sense organs to simple stimuli such as an
advertisement, a brand name, or a package, etc. Exposure only requires presence of a stimulus
within an individual’s relevant environment. For example, a person is exposed to a commercial
(stimulus) if she/he were in the room when the commercial was shown, even when the person
paid no attention to it or noticed it. Sensory receptors are human sense organs (eyes, ears, nose,
mouth and skin) involved in receiving sensory inputs. Though there are numerous stimuli
present in our environment, we are exposed to only an extremely small fraction of them. We are
exposed to a large number of stimuli on a more or less random basis every day, but most of us
deliberately seek exposure to selected stimuli in a “self-selected” manner and ignore or avoid
others (zapping and muting of TV commercials, or zipping of pre-recorded videotapes are good
examples of this stimuli avoidance). Obviously, we look for information that we consider will
help us in some way to accomplish our desired goals.
Sensitivity to stimuli varies among individuals and depends on the quality of sensory receptors.
For example, some people have more acute hearing or sharper eyesight than some others.

Absolute Threshold

Absolute threshold refers to the lowest level at which an individual can experience a sensation.
At this point, an individual can detect a difference between “something” and “nothing” and this
point would be that individual’s absolute threshold for that stimulus. For instance, one individual
may sense the sound pitch at 20 cycles per second and the second individual may sense the sound
pitch at 30 cycles per second. Absolute threshold for sound in case of these two individuals
would be different. Many individuals’ ability to discriminate sensory characteristics such as
taste, smell, hearing, or feel is small.

Differential Threshold

Differential threshold is the smallest detectable difference between two values of the same
stimulus. This is also referred as j.n.d (just noticeable difference). A German scientist of nineteenth-
century, Ernst Weber discovered that the just noticeable difference between two stimuli was an
amount relative to the intensity of the initial stimulus. To measure the differential threshold
for a stimulus, one commonly changes its intensity in very small amounts. An individual’s
threshold exists when she/he first notices that the stimulus has changed. The difference between
this value and the starting value is the just noticeable difference. Weber’s Law (after the name of
the scientist) states that stronger the initial stimulus, greater the additional intensity needed for
the second stimulus to be perceived as different.

Subliminal Perception

People can also perceive stimuli, which are below their level of conscious awareness. In this
situation, the stimuli which are otherwise too weak or brief to be consciously seen or heard
prove strong enough to be perceived. When the stimulus is below the threshold of awareness
and is perceived, the process is called subliminal perception. This shows that the threshold of
conscious awareness is higher than the absolute threshold for effective perception.

Subliminal research studies are inconclusive as far as impact of advertising is concerned. Research
on subliminal perception seems to be based on two theoretical approaches: (1) the affect of
constant repetition of very weak stimuli adds up to produce response strength and (2) subliminal
stimuli of a sexual nature arouse unconscious sexual motivations. Research studies have so far
failed to indicate that any of these theoretical approaches can be put to effective use in advertising
to increase sales.

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