Date of Award

Spring 1980

Document Type

Dissertation - Restricted

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Education

Abstract

A number of studios have shown that subliminal stimuli can measurably effect such cognitive mechanisms an imagery, dreams, fantasy, memory, verbal. and symbolic associations, perceptual impressions and ego functioning. Other studies have shown that subliminal stimulation of aggressive content was capable of arousing subjects (generally psychiatric patients), exacerbating their pathological symptomotology. Psychologist's studying cognitive styles have found that a person's capability to be analytic was diminished when that person was in an aroused state. It was the primary object of this investigation to determine whether subjects could be sufficiently aroused by means of subliminal stimulation to produce this same effect. Previous research had suggested that certain cognitive styles were conducive to subliminal reception, but not necessarily changed by it. In order to investigate this problem, 81 undergraduates enrolled in the Department of Education were randomly assigned to three groups, two experimental conditions and one control condition. The experimental groups were shown a slide of an aggressive looking man. One group was shown this slide at a subliminal level, the other at a supraliminal level. The control group was shown a blank slide. All three groups were exposed to a "priming" task prior to their respective slide presentations...

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