PSYCHOLOGY AND ADVERTISEMENTS 
339 
PSYCHOLOGY APPLIED TO THE MEASUREMENT OF 
MERIT OF ADVERTISEMENTS. 
HARRY H. GOULD. 
The problem to be presented in this paper is that of measur- 
ing the relative merits of a series of advertisements. The ad- 
vertisements are arranged in their order of merit with the best 
at one extreme, the poorest at the other, and the intervening 
ones in their ranking order as determined by, the method of 
procedure used in the experiment. 
The distinctive feature of this attempt is that it rests upon a 
fundamental analysis of scoring factors which serve as a basis 
upon which the judgments are made. The advertisementsi are 
compared and ranked upon the basis of each of these specific 
factors separately. To make the final results show the relative 
values of the advertisements as a whole, it is essential that this 
list of scoring factors shall be all-inclusive of those factors 
which go tO' make up a perfect advertisement. 
The analysis of scoring factors was made in the following 
manner. First an analysis was made of the mental processes 
which must be induced in the reader by an advertisement in 
order to be effective. Thus it is necessary that the advertisement 
attract the attention of the reader ; it must have attention value. 
Its meaning must be readily intelligible to the reader; it must 
have meaning value. It must create a favorable feeling tone in 
the reader; it must have feeling value of the right sort. It must 
be remembered ; it must have memory value. And finally it must 
convince the reader and impel him to act; it must have persua- 
sive value. 
The next step was to carry this analysis still further and de- 
termine the specific factors which contribute towards each of 
these ends. The results of this analysis are as follows: 
1. Attention value 
1. Intensity 
2. Strikingness 
3. Clearness 
4. Feeling tone 
2. Meaning value 
1. Distinctness 
2. Relevance 
3. Familiarity 
4. Aptness 
5. Simplicity 
6. Specificness 
7. Vividness 
8. Emotional congruity 
3. Peeling value 
1. .Esthetic appeal 
2. Familiarity 
3. Emotional congruity 
4. Sincerity 
5. Appeal to instincts 
6. Appeal to interests 
7. Appeal to emotions 
