Subliminal Messages Ineffective, Study Says

The findings of a University of Washington study on subliminal messages support a Nevada judge's ruling yesterday that hidden rock-music messages did not cause two men to attempt suicide, the university said.

The study found that cassette tapes claiming to improve memory or increase self-esteem through subliminal messages were ineffective, said its author, Professor Anthony Greenwald.

Using memory-enhancement tapes supplied by two commercial vendors, Greenwald's research team tested 237 volunteer subjects in Seattle and Santa Cruz, Calif. Testing before and after the tapes were played showed the tapes did not improve the subjects' memory.

In the Reno, Nev., case the families of two victims sued the band Judas Priest and CBS records, claiming messages hidden in the crashing music of the 1978 ``Stained Class'' album touted satanism and promoted suicide.