One form of
learning that plays a prominent role in consumer’s behaviour is fear conditioning.
In Watson and
Rayner’s seminal experiment with “Little Albert” (1920), they showed how fear
can become a conditioned emotional reaction. Marketers may also be
incorporating some of Watson and Rayner’s behavioural theories to
influence their consumer’s behaviour.
People often learn by information and
instruction which situations to fear (Rachman, 1977). Mowrer (1939) argued that fear “may effectively motivate human beings”
and that the curtailment of fear “may serve powerfully to reinforce behaviour
that brings about such a state of relief or security”.
Accordingly, companies
that market their products often use forms of fear conditioning in an attempt
to increase their revenue.
Clearasil,
a skin care product for the treatment of acne, ran television
advertisements portraying spotty teenagers looking glum and downbeat; but joyful and
surrounded by attractive women once the product had been discovered. Similar
advertising themes exist with Lynx
body spray. The product is advertised as a potent solution for
men to acquire more attention from women, a “spray more - get more” mantra of
fear conditioning.
Both advertisements suggest an attempt at
fear conditioning to promote their product to possibly insecure adolescent
males. The fear can be conditioned by frequent repetition of the association
between the new conditioned stimulus and the fear. Therefore,
individuals (consumers) are driven to purchase these products in an attempt to
avoid negative outcomes and successfully reduce their fear (Rachman, 1977). It
can be further argued that avoidance conditioning is employed in these advertisements; as the consumer
learns a response (buy product) and thus avoid an aversive stimulus (e.g. not being
attractive).
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"...because then you're watching television, you're watching the news, you're being pumped full of fear, there's floods, there's AIDS, there's murder, cut to commercial, buy the Acura, buy the Colgate, if you have bad breath they're not going to talk to you, if you have pimples, the girl's not going to fuck you, and it's just this campaign of fear, and consumption, and that's what I think it's all based on, the whole idea of keep everyone afraid, and they'll consume." ~ Marilyn Manson (Bowling for Columbine, 2002).
