| Abstract: | Research on subliminal psychodynamic activation has generated considerable interest and controversy because of researchers' claims that psychoanalytic hypotheses have been successfully tested experimentally with the use of specially constructed subliminal stimuli. The present review of Silverman's studies in this field reveals internally inconsistent results and few attempts at exact replication; instead, Silverman expanded the applications of the method without carefully establishing the conditions under which results could be reliably obtained. These problems are discussed in the light of methodological weakness present in the entire research program and theoretical concerns regarding (a) the assumption that subliminal generic messages are consistent with psychoanalytic theory about the nature of unconscious conflict and (b) the assumption that subliminal stimuli can activate unconscious conflict. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
