The influence of subliminal stimuli on emotional perception and information retention in Immersive virtual reality tourism experiences

Although subliminal stimuli have been extensively studied in psychology and consumer behavior, their integration into immersive Virtual Reality (VR) environments, particularly in tourism and cultural heritage, remains largely unexplored. This research addresses that gap by investigating how subliminal cues, imperceptibly embedded within immersive VR content, influence emotional perception and cultural information retention. Grounded in Flow Theory and Cognitive Load Theory (CLT), this study introduces a new conceptual framework, the Subliminal-Flow Engagement Model (SFEM), specifically created to investigate the subconscious mechanisms driving engagement in immersive tourism experiences. The SFEM aims to explain how subliminal stimuli, including emotionally charged words/emojis subtly integrated into a VR-based cultural storytelling context, influence user engagement and facilitate better retention of information. An experimental design was conducted using VR headsets, where two participant groups explored a 360° virtual tour of a Tunisian heritage site. The control group experienced the tour without intervention, while the experimental group was exposed to subliminal visual cues, emojis and emotionally evocative words flashed for one frame at 60 Hz (16.67 ms). Emotional responses were assessed using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), given technical limitations in biometric measurement tools. Preliminary findings indicate that subliminal cues may enhance emotional engagement and improve memory consolidation of cultural content. These results reveal untapped potential for designing emotionally intelligent and persuasive VR experiences in the tourism industry. By subtly shaping user perceptions, subliminal design could be leveraged to create deeper, more memorable visitor connections with destinations, positioning this approach as a valuable tool in immersive tourism marketing and heritage storytelling. Ethical considerations regarding subconscious influence are also addressed.