Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Subliminal messages for increasing self-esteem: placebo effect.

M Froufe1, C Schwartz

  • 1Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain. manuel.froufe@uam.es

The Spanish Journal of Psychology
|November 14, 2001
PubMed
Summary

Subliminal audio tapes did not improve self-esteem beyond a placebo effect. Participants listening to subliminal messages, music only, or music with supraliminal messages showed similar gains, suggesting the perceived benefits were due to expectation, not the subliminal content itself.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Unified Gait Event Detection using Temporal Convolutional Network and Bayesian Optimization.

Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual International Conference·2025
Same author

A new field-test for assessing the medial and lateral hamstring strength at long-muscle length.

Journal of bodywork and movement therapies·2024
Same author

Answer to: Letter received concerning the "EAPM position statement: Use of appropriate terminology for situations related to inadequate fetal oxygenation in labor" from Savshenko J and Wendel SB: "On importance of consistent terminology and mutual understanding".

European journal of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology·2024
Same author

Posterior thigh muscles activity during the active H-test: An electromyographic and kinematic analysis.

Journal of bodywork and movement therapies·2024
Same author

Highly efficient and sensitive membrane-based concentration process allows quantification, surveillance, and sequencing of viruses in large volumes of wastewater.

Water research·2023
Same author

Long-term follow-up of patients with extensive segmental infantile hemangioma of the cervical or facial region: A French single-center prospective study.

Archives de pediatrie : organe officiel de la Societe francaise de pediatrie·2023

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Cognitive Science

Background:

  • Unconscious perception is recognized, but evidence for subliminal audio tape effectiveness is inconsistent.
  • Claims that subliminal verbal messages on audiotapes can improve human resources and behavior are widespread but lack robust empirical support.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the influence of "subliminal tapes" specifically designed to enhance self-esteem.
  • To differentiate the effects of subliminal messages from placebo effects in self-improvement audiotapes.

Main Methods:

  • Random assignment of participants to four conditions: music with supra- and subliminal messages, music with only subliminal messages, music only (believed to have subliminal messages), and a waiting control group.
  • Pre- and post-test administration of the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale to measure changes in self-esteem.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • All groups, including those listening to music only or believing they heard subliminal messages, showed significant pretest-posttest improvement in self-esteem (p <= .003).
  • The waiting control group did not exhibit significant self-esteem improvement (p = .311).
  • The similar improvement across active listening groups suggests a placebo effect, rather than a specific effect of subliminal messages.

Conclusions:

  • The study's findings indicate that the perceived self-esteem enhancement from the tested audiotapes is attributable to a placebo effect.
  • These results contradict previous studies, prompting discussion on potential methodological or contextual discrepancies.
  • Further research is needed to understand the inconsistent findings in subliminal perception research regarding audiotapes.