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One day somebody had the idea to turn to science for help in a problem of day-by-day life. As such cooperation proved successful, the efforts became organized into applied science. This is one type of applied science; but science may also apply itself to practice in order to clarify and test its own concepts and theories, a necessary step on the path to truth.
Psychoanalysis has gained by its advertency to the social sciences, to history, prehistory, religion and the arts. But it has not applied itself extensively, so far, to the understanding of those contacts by which we make people do what we would like them to do and like it, too. Such contacts are known as the propagandistic ones.
In his book, Frederick Lumley (3) quoted about 150 definitions of propaganda and advertising. My own definition (1) steers clear more resolutely than the other definitions of the media and emphasizes the contacts. Therefore, my definition may be quoted: Propaganda comprises all those ways of public information by which social contacts are increased and confidence is created, so that our fellowmen will make up their minds to cooperate in the aims offered them. However, the aim of such cooperation must be lawful, or else we speak of plagiarism, terror, intimidation, unfair competition or any other form of pseudopropaganda. The backbone, then, of this definition is social contact plus a certain kind of social-psychological attitude.
How was the need to own a car created? Was it done by blurting out from every roof-top that Ford's Model “T” or Oldsmobile or LaSalle was the best or the cheapest or the most reliable or the speediest car? Such appeals would move the speedsters or the people that want value, dollar for dollar, or the perfectionist-buyers. Without further analysis, these are special groups within the population of prospective consumers. The enormous increase of automobile sales could not be accounted for by such special appeals. At the time when this miracle was achieved, a radic