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Related Experiment Videos

Subliminal self-help audiotapes: a search for placebo effects.

P M Merikle1, H E Skanes

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

The Journal of Applied Psychology
|October 1, 1992
PubMed
Summary

Subliminal self-help audiotapes did not show a placebo effect for weight loss. Weight loss occurred across all groups, suggesting increased self-awareness rather than tape efficacy.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Subliminal self-help audiotapes are marketed for weight loss.
  • The effectiveness of these tapes is often attributed to a placebo effect.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if the perceived effectiveness of subliminal audiotapes for weight loss is due to a placebo effect.
  • To determine the actual impact of subliminal audiotapes on weight loss.

Main Methods:

  • Overweight female participants who believed in subliminal audiotapes were divided into three groups.
  • Group 1 listened to manufacturer-provided subliminal audiotapes.
  • Group 2 listened to placebo tapes.
  • Group 3 received no tapes.
  • All participants were weighed weekly for five weeks.

Main Results:

  • All three groups experienced weight loss.
  • The average weight loss was comparable across all groups.
  • No statistically significant difference in weight loss was observed between the groups.

Conclusions:

  • The study found no evidence that subliminal audiotapes cause a placebo effect for weight loss.
  • Results suggest that using subliminal audiotapes may increase participants' general awareness of their weight, contributing to self-initiated behavioral changes.

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