Jane participates in an experiment where she is asked to look at nine different pictures of the same person. Unbeknownst to her, immediately before each picture is presented an unpleasant picture is briefly flashed so quickly that she is unaware of it. After viewing all nine photos of the person, she is asked some questions related to her attitude towards the person. How is Jane is likely to respond given the research findings from studies on subliminal perception?
A)Jane's attitude towards the person is unlikely to be influenced by the presence of the subliminally presented unpleasant pictures.
B)Jane's attitude towards the person is unlikely to be influenced by the presence of the subliminally presented unpleasant pictures, but if she were to meet the individual she would unconsciously behave more negatively towards the person.
C)Jane would only express a more negative attitude towards the person if she was consciously aware of at least one of the briefly flashed unpleasant pictures.
D)Jane is likely to express a more negative attitude towards the person compared to participants in a control group that were not exposed to the unpleasant pictures.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Research on subliminal perception has shown that stimuli presented below the threshold of conscious awareness can influence attitudes and behavior. In this scenario, the subliminal presentation of unpleasant pictures before seeing the person's photos can prime Jane to have a more negative attitude towards the person, even though she is not consciously aware of the influence.

Jane Participates in an Experiment Where She Is Asked to Look