Guess what? Implicit motivation boosts the influence of subliminal information on choice

When is choice affected by subliminal messages? This question has fascinated scientists and lay people alike, but it is only recently that reliable empirical data began to emerge. In the current paper we bridge the literature on implicit motivation and that on subliminal persuasion. We suggest that motivation in general, and implicit motivation more specifically, plays an important role in subliminal persuasion: It sensitizes us to subliminal cues. To examine this hypothesis we developed a new paradigm that allows powerful tests of subliminal influences as well as stringent assessments of subliminality. The results of two experiments suggest that implicit motivation can enhance the effects of subliminal priming on choice.

► Can implicit motivation enhance the influence of subliminal stimuli on choice?
► In a new paradigm the effect of subliminal word cues on category choices was tested.
► Implicit motivation was manipulated in two ways (priming and feedback).
► In Exp. 1 subliminal cues improved choices of the implicitly motivated participants.
► In Exp. 2 after more practice, controls reached the same level of performance.