In today’s world, the values we hold shape our communities and define the kind of society we want to live in. Art in public spaces serves as a powerful medium to express and share these values, creating connections between people and sparking conversations that might otherwise go unspoken.

The purpose of the Peaceful Demonstrator Study is to examine how different kinds of statements affect attention and reflective thinking. In the current study update, I compare three types of statements displayed on small demonstrator signs: The purpose of the Peaceful Demonstrator Study is to examine how different kinds of short public slogans affect attention and reflective thinking. In the current study update, I compare three types of statements displayed on small demonstrator signs:

• Neutral statements (descriptive baseline)

• Confirmative statements (value-affirming messages that align with widely shared norms)

• Paradoxical statements (a form of paradoxical intervention: messages that remain consistent with common beliefs but are pushed to an exaggerated or “too-far” conclusion, designed to create surprise and invite deeper sense-making rather than direct persuasion)

By comparing responses to these message types, the study investigates:

• Which slogans are most likely to capture attention and be remembered

• Which slogans most strongly stimulate cognitive reflection (e.g., “this made me think,” interpretive effort, uncertainty in positioning)

• How emotional reactions and rejection tendencies relate to reflection

• For whom a message is experienced as paradoxical, including differences across political self-placement

Overall, the research aims to understand whether paradoxical intervention in the form of small demonstration signs can generate stronger reflective engagement than confirmative messaging, while using neutral statements as a control baseline.