Subliminal messages cannot persuade people to purchase products.

True

Its hard enough for advertisers to impress people with blatant images let alone when they are barely detectable. Similarly, the band Judas Priest gained publicity through claims that satanic messages could be heard backwards in their heavy metal songs. However, in a controlled test, Vokey and Read (1985) found suggestibility and imagination were the key factors at work. Despite significant debunking of the idea by the scientific community, the belief that subliminal advertisements are effective pops up occasionally, such as in the 2000 U.S. presidential election. Reference: Lilienfeld,S., Lynn,S.J., Ruscio, J., & Beyerstein, B.L. (2010). 50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology: Shattering Widespread Misconceptions About Human Behaviour. Chichester, UK: Wiley-Blackwell*##**##*