Key to subliminal messaging: keep it negative, study suggests
Subliminal messaging is most effective when the message being conveyed is negative, according to new research.
Subliminal images – that is, images shown so briefly that a viewer doesn’t consciously notice them – have long been the subject of controversy, particularly in the advertising field. Studies have hinted that people can unconsciously pick up on subliminal information intended to provoke an emotional response, but limitations in the designs of the studies have meant that the conclusions weren’t considered definitive.
A new study by Nilli Lavie of University College London and colleagues, indicates that people can process emotional information from subliminal images and that information of “negative value” is better detected than information of “positive value.”
