Exploring the influence of subliminal stimulus type and peripheral angle on the priming effect

Abstract

Subliminal techniques have been used to enhance and enrich the interaction efficiency between humans and computers. However, the extent to which they are effective when presented at the periphery of the visual field remains unexplored. In addition, it is still unclear which stimulus type is more effective at influencing decisions when presented in peripheral areas. In this work, we investigate the degree to which three types of subliminal stimuli (images, shapes, words) are effective at influencing selection decisions, and how their efficiency degrades when presented at different visual angles. In a controlled study, we examine the selection performance of subliminal stimuli that are presented at thirteen visual angles and tested using two presentation durations (33ms, 66ms). Our findings suggest that subliminal words can be effective at peripheral angles. Also, types comparison showed that the word stimulus outperformed other types at specific visual angles. These findings provide insights for understanding how peripheral subliminal techniques can be used to support users while performing primary tasks. We examine these findings, present potential use-case scenarios for peripheral subliminal techniques and discuss ethical considerations around their use in user interfaces.

Publications

Exploring the influence of subliminal stimulus type and peripheral angle on the priming effect L Albarrak International Journal of Human-Computer Studies 151:102631 Academic Press 2021 1071-5819

Videos