<P> Another study investigated the effects of self - help tapes on self - esteem and memory . Volunteers who wanted to improve their self - esteem or memory were recruited and completed several self - esteem and memory tests before being given a self - help tape . Subjects were given a self - esteem audio tape or a memory audio tape, but half of the tapes were mislabeled and half were correctly labeled . After listening to the tapes daily for five weeks, subjects came back and repeated the self - esteem and memory tests . There was no significant change from the first set of testing to the second, although subjects believed that their self - esteem or memory improved based on which tape they believed they had, even when they had a mislabeled tape (those who had tapes labeled as self - esteem tapes felt their self - esteem had increased and the same with memory). This effect is often referred to as a placebo . There are multiple other studies on subliminal self - help with different measures and have given similar results . </P> <P> Some studies have looked at the efficacy of subliminal messaging in television . Subliminal messages produce only one - tenth of the effects of detected messages and the findings related the effects of subliminal messaging were relatively ambiguous . Also, participants' ratings of positive response to commercials are not affected by subliminal messages in the commercials . </P> <P> Karremans suggests that subliminal messages have an effect when the messages are goal - relevant . Subliminally priming a brand name of a soft drink (Lipton Ice) made those who were thirsty want the Lipton Ice . However, those who were not thirsty were not influenced by the subliminal messages . Karremans did a study assessing whether subliminal priming of a brand name of a drink would affect a person's choice of drink, and whether this effect is caused by the individual's feelings of being thirsty . In another study, participant's ratings of thirst were higher after viewing an episode of The Simpsons that contained single frames of the word "thirsty" or of a picture of a Coca - Cola can . Some studies have shown greater effects of subliminal messaging with as high as 80% of participants showing a preference for a particular rum when subliminally primed by the name placed in an ad backward . </P> <P> Many authors have continued to argue for the effectiveness of subliminal cues in changing consumption behavior, citing environmental cues as a main culprit of behavior change . Authors who support this line of reasoning cite findings such as the research that showed slow - paced music in a supermarket was associated with more sales and customers moving at a slower pace . Findings such as these support the notion that external cues can affect behavior, although the stimulus may not fit into a strict definition of subliminal stimuli because although the music may not be attended to or consciously affecting the customers, they are certainly able to perceive it . </P>

After exposure to subliminally presented geometric figures experimental subjects