A Research Participant Is Subliminally Presented with an Unpleasant Word

question 78

Multiple Choice

A research participant is subliminally presented with an unpleasant word and is then presented with other words that are either pleasant or unpleasant. Which of the following is most likely to happen?

• A) Participants will respond equally quickly to both types of words, but they will display a depressed mood for about the next 30 minutes.
• B) Participants will respond more quickly to pleasant words than unpleasant words in an effort to feel happier.
• C) Participants will respond more quickly to the unpleasant words than to the pleasant words.
• D) Participants will respond equally quickly to both types of words, but they will deny that the unpleasant words are actually unpleasant.

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Definitions:

Experimental Psychology

A branch of psychology that studies the mind and behavior by conducting controlled experiments to investigate processes underlying human thoughts, feelings, and actions.

Empiricism

A philosophical perspective that knowledge comes primarily from sensory experience, emphasizing the role of observation and experimentation in the acquisition of knowledge.

Humanism

A philosophical and ethical stance emphasizing the value and agency of human beings, individually and collectively.

Structuralism

An approach in various academic disciplines that involves analyzing the structure of systems, often used in psychology to describe the structure of the mind.