Minor studies in the psychology of advertising

Abstract

Examines 1,082 consecutive pages of advertising matter in the Αmerican Magazine' and 1,000 in the Σaturday Evening Post', to determine the frequency with which advertisers actually used the right and left hand pages. In the Αmerican Magazine', the right hand page was used 56 per cent of the times and in the Σaturday Evening Post', 52 per cent of the times. There were 365 full-page advertisements in the Αmerican Magazine', of which 82 per cent were on the right hand side. In the Σaturday Evening Post', 67 per cent of the 521 full-page advertisements were on the right hand side. To measure the block made by pyramiding, 1,000 successive pages bearing advertisements and news, in the issues of Νew York Times' were examined. The pages containing full-page advertisements were examined separately. There were 235 full-page advertisements and 53 per cent were on the right hand page. Of the 1,000 pages, 505 were on the left hand page and 495 on the right. Of the 505 on the left page, 35 per cent were in the lower left quarter and 77 per cent in the lower right quarter. Of the 495 right hand pages, the lower left quarter was occupied by 23 per cent and the lower right quarter by 68 per cent. Of the 505 left hand pages, the upper left quarter had 115 advertisements and the upper right quarter, 295. Of the 495 right hand pages, the upper left quarter had 155 and the upper right quarter, 295. Concluded that there is a distinct limitation to the ease with which certain positions can be secured. The upper outside quarter, which is recommended as being most valuable, can be secured only 30 per cent times on the left hand page and 60 per cent times on the right hand page. From Psych Bulletin 21:01:00091. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)