Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Magical thinking and memory: Distinctiveness effect for TV commercials with magical content
AU - Subbotsky, Eugene
AU - Matthews, Jayne
PY - 2011/10
Y1 - 2011/10
N2 - The aim of this study was to examine whether memorizing adver- tised products of television advertisements with magical effects (i.e., talking ani- mals, inanimate objects which turn into humans, objects that appear from thin air or instantly turn into other objects) is easier than memorizing products of advertise- ments without such effects, by testing immediate and delayed retention. Adoles- cents and adults viewed two films containing television advertisements and were asked to recall and recognize the films’ characters, events, and advertised products. Film 1 included magical effects, but Film 2 did not. On a free-recall test, no dif- ferences in the number of items recalled were noted for the two films. On the im- mediate recognition test, adolescents, but not adults, showed significantly better recognition for the magical than the nonmagical film. When this test was repeated two weeks later, results were reversed: adults, but not adolescents, recognized a significantly larger number of items from the magical film than the nonmagical one. These results are interpreted to accentuate the role of magical thinking in cognitive processes.
AB - The aim of this study was to examine whether memorizing adver- tised products of television advertisements with magical effects (i.e., talking ani- mals, inanimate objects which turn into humans, objects that appear from thin air or instantly turn into other objects) is easier than memorizing products of advertise- ments without such effects, by testing immediate and delayed retention. Adoles- cents and adults viewed two films containing television advertisements and were asked to recall and recognize the films’ characters, events, and advertised products. Film 1 included magical effects, but Film 2 did not. On a free-recall test, no dif- ferences in the number of items recalled were noted for the two films. On the im- mediate recognition test, adolescents, but not adults, showed significantly better recognition for the magical than the nonmagical film. When this test was repeated two weeks later, results were reversed: adults, but not adolescents, recognized a significantly larger number of items from the magical film than the nonmagical one. These results are interpreted to accentuate the role of magical thinking in cognitive processes.
KW - Memory
KW - learning
KW - magical thinking
KW - commercial advertising
U2 - 10.2466/04.11.28.PR0.109.5.369-379
DO - 10.2466/04.11.28.PR0.109.5.369-379
M3 - Journal article
VL - 109
SP - 369
EP - 379
JO - Psychological Reports
JF - Psychological Reports
IS - 2
ER -