Then, a half second later, a string of letters is displayed so that it can be plainly seen. Just after the word is flashed, a gridlike pattern flashes to help insure that the word does not register in awareness. But the analysts discount the cognitive research as trivial. The cognitive scientists tend to be scornful of the psychoanalytic research as poorly conducted. The debate tends to split along disciplinary lines, with cognitive scientists, who study how the mind takes in and stores information, disputing, disputing the power of subliminal messages and researchers with a psychoanalytic bent upholding it. There is much debate among scientists, however, over the power of messages received outside a person's awareness to affect how people act, as well as over the conditions under which such effects occur. But they deny that subliminal perceptions can lead to the kinds of effects like better bowling made in commercial claims. Greenwald and other researchers concede that there is scientific evidence for the mind's ability to perceive without conscious awareness. Subliminal tape companies typically support their claims through testimonials by satisfied customers, rather than by citing specific studies of their tapes' effectiveness.ĭespite the conclusion that the effects of subliminal tapes are simply due to suggestion, Dr. There's no evidence of any perception at all, let alone evidence that they work.'' There's no evidence that there is subliminal perception of their message. But there was virtually no change on the objective measures of self-esteem or memory.''Īnthony Pratkanis, a psychologist at the University of California at Santa Cruz, said: ''Subliminal tapes are today's snake oil. Those with the tapes labeled for memory said they had better memory those with tapes labeled self-esteem said they felt better about themselves. ''About 50 percent said they had improved on memory or self-esteem, but the effect was a result of the labels, not the tapes.
''We asked, do you believe your memory or self-esteem has improved since you've used this tape?'' said Anthony Greenwald, a psychologist at the University of Washington, who did the studies. Changes in self-esteem or memory were measured by 12 different psychological tests. The results do not support the commercial claims made for subliminal tapes.īut in the experiment half the volunteers received tapes with the labels reversed: what was labeled the self-esteem tape, for example, was actually the memory tape. Only recently have there been well-conducted scientific tests of subliminal messages. ''As I read the evidence, including my own work, the subliminal message could have been a contributory cause to the suicides,'' he said. Shevrin, a witness for the parents, disagrees. Moore said the assumption that embedded messages can compel such a strong reaction is wrong. Testifying last week as an expert witness for the defense, Dr. The parents of two men who killed themselves after listening to an album by the band contend that the suicides were caused by a subliminal message, ''Do it!'' on a song portraying a hopeless view of life.
Subliminal messaging trial#
The scientific debate has spilled over into the courtroom in the trial of a rock band, Judas Priest.
THe matter is of more than academic interest. The panel of cognitive psychologists declared that the lore about subliminal perception is largely nonsense. Moore was the chairman of a panel on subliminal messages at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association in Boston. ''For example, I regard subliminal tapes as a form of health fraud.'' ''There's a huge gap between the scientific data on subliminal perception and the extravagant claims made for it,'' said Timothy Moore, a psychologist at York University in Toronto. Both sides agree that popular understanding of subliminal persuasion is largely na,ive, crediting it with powers that it simply does not have. But psychoanalytic researchers claim their data show that certain kinds of subliminal messages can have great persuasive and therapeutic impact. Some, most of whom are cognitive psychologists, say there is no credible scientific evidence that hidden messages can persuade or cure. And for vendors of audio tapes, the power of the imperceptible exhortation to strengthen memory or take off pounds is more than an article of faith - it is a profit center.īut scientists studying the mind's ability to register information outside awareness are locked in debate about the power of messages directed to the unconscious mind.
Critics of advertising often take for granted the power of ''hidden persuaders.'' Many parents stand convinced that messages buried in rock music are poisoning their children's minds. THE power of subliminal messages is taken as an article of faith by many people.
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