The University of Strathclyde found that people in England and Scotland become more anxious about the state of the economy when presented with an image of their national flag, the St George’s cross or Saltire. However, the subconscious effect was more pronounced north of the Border and the Saltire provoked stronger negative feelings about the current economic situation in Scotland. In contrast, exposure to the Union Jack led to positive feedback among more than 10,000 people who responded to the survey. Although the authors of the research emphasised the sample was not representative of the population as a whole, they speculated that increased negativity about the Saltire was linked with unconscious fears about “going it alone” as the referendum approaches. Professor Laura Cram, who led the research, said: “What was really interesting was when you are triggering national identity, which is traditionally associated with your gut instinct, it was also affecting how you looked at the economy.” A summary of the findings suggested that the respondents felt “less in control” and “more anxious” about the economy when they thought of themselves as English or Scottish rather than British.
