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The reach of the unconscious| old_uid | 15127 |
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| title | The reach of the unconscious |
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| start_date | 2015/02/19 |
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| schedule | 11h-12h30 |
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| online | no |
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| summary | A great conceptual pendulum oscillates, with a period of about 30 or 40 years, over our understanding of the relationships between conscious and unconscious information processing. Its path delineates the contours of the unconscious mind as well as its contents: Sometimes smart and defining the very fabric of the mind, the unconscious is at other times relegated to taking care of little more than our bodily functions. At this point in time, the pendulum finds itself hovering rather steadily on the side of those who think so many functions are served by the unconscious that they even question the very role that consciousness plays in shaping the human mind.
Here I will suggest that the pendulum has swung a little too far, and illustrate the argument with recent experimental findings that document how challenging it may be to arrive at a satisfactory conception of the relationships between conscious and unconscious information processing. I will focus on two recent studies dedicated to social cognition — one concerns the Unconscious Thought Effect, the other behavioural priming. Both are suggestive that the specific methods we use, as well as the manner in which we interpret the data and other factors such as experimenter bias, are of profound importance with respect to the conclusions we draw about the power of the unconscious.
A few general principles emerge from this skeptical analysis. First, the unconscious is probably overrated today. Second, there is a pervasive and continuing confusion between information processing without awareness and information processing without attention. I suggest that considering how learning and plasticity mechanisms modify conscious contents can reduce this confusion. |
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| responsibles | Strickland |
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