The Rat Pack

The word “rats” flashes for one-fifteenth of a second in a Republican National Committee ad attacking Vice President Al Gore’s healthcare proposal. Accidental? Intentional? Subliminal?

Just Dangerous. This is not subliminal advertising—a concept researchers have debunked—because the flashing word would have to function below the threshold of consciousness and remain unseen by the viewer. Instead, the visible image in the ad is part of a well-proven psychological technique called priming.

Here’s how it works: If I were to flash a series of violent words at you—hate, kill, blood, guts—then tell you a story in which I asked you to supply the ending, you are more likely to provide a violent conclusion.