Deception in Advertising: A Receiver Oriented Approach to Understanding

Whether or not an advertisement is said to be deceptive depends on the understanding and definition of deception being used. The position advocated here is that the focus of any definition must be the receiver of the message. Based on an analysis of veridical perception, a definition of deception in advertising is offered. An approach to measuring deception is also offered. The techniques are all seen as screening techniques, although by their regular use, advertisers should improve the ability of their advertisements to reach their stated objectives as well as reduce the amount of deception.