Researchers provided participants with audiotapes that contained subliminal messages to improve memory or to raise self-esteem. After participants had listened to the tapes, the researchers assessed their memory or self-esteem. Greenwald and his colleagues found that the subliminal messages __________.
A) worked, and people correctly thought that they did
B) worked, but people were skeptical about their success
C) did not work, but people thought that they did
D) did not work, and people were correctly skeptical

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Greenwald and his colleagues found that the subliminal messages did not actually improve memory or self-esteem, but participants believed that they had experienced improvement. This illustrates the placebo effect, where the belief in the effectiveness of a treatment can lead to perceived improvements, even if the treatment itself has no therapeutic effect.

Researchers Provided Participants with Audiotapes That Contained Subliminal Messages to Improve