Even when you can’t see it, the national symbol affects political views and voting behavior.
The most recognized symbol of patriotism is the national flag. Does this symbol modify our behavior? Investigators in Israel studied the effect of subliminal exposure to the Israeli flag on response to politically charged issues as well as voting intentions and self-reported behavior.
Participants were asked questions about political issues after seeing a control stimulus and after being “primed” with a 16-millisecond view of the flag. Responses were analyzed only from subjects who did not recognize that they had seen the stimulus. To divide subjects into “right-wing” and “left-wing” categories, researchers used a scale that rated identification with Israeli nationalism.
In the control condition, political views diverged. After subliminal fla…
Reviewing Author
DisclosuresRoyaltiesTextbook of Traumatic Brain Injury, 2nd and 3rd editions
Editorial BoardsUpToDate; Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience
Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesNorth American Brain Injury Association (Board Member); National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (Chair of Data Monitoring Safety Board for study of donepezil on cognition after traumatic brain injury)
DisclosuresRoyaltiesTextbook of Traumatic Brain Injury, 2nd and 3rd editions
Editorial BoardsUpToDate; Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience
Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesNorth American Brain Injury Association (Board Member); National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (Chair of Data Monitoring Safety Board for study of donepezil on cognition after traumatic brain injury)