Subliminal mere exposure: Specific, general, and diffuse effects

The present research examined the possibility that repeated exposure may si multaneously produce specific and diffuse effects. bt Study 1, participants were presented with 5-ms exposures of 25 stimuli each shown once (single-e xposure condition) or with five repetitions of 5 stimuli (repeated-exposure condition). Participants ill the repented-exposure condition subsequently rated their own mood more positively than those in the single-exposure cond ition. Study 2 examined whether affect generated by subliminal repented exp osures transfers to unrelated stimuli. After a subliminal exposure phase, a ffective reactions to previously exposed stimuli, to new but similar stimul i, and to stimuli from a different category were obtained Previously expose d stimuli were rated most positively and novel different stimuli least posi tively. All stimuli were rated more positively in the repeated-exposure con dition than in the single-exposure condition. These findings suggest that a ffect generated by subliminal repeated exposure is sufficiently diffuse to influence ratings of unrelated stimuli and mood.