Controlling the unconscious

Autor(en)
Ulla Martens, Ulrich Ansorge, Markus Kiefer
Abstrakt

Are unconscious processes susceptible to attentional influences? In two subliminal priming experiments, we investigated whether task sets differentially modulate the sensitivity of unconscious processing pathways. We developed a novel procedure for masked semantic priming of words (Experiment 1) and masked visuomotor priming of geometrical shapes (Experiment 2). Before presentation of the masked prime, participants performed an induction task in which they attended to either semantic or perceptual object features designed to activate a semantic or perceptual task set, respectively. Behavioral and electrophysiological effects showed that the induction tasks differentially modulated subliminal priming: Semantic priming, which involves access to conceptual meaning, was found after the semantic induction task but not after the perceptual induction task. Visuomotor priming was observed after the perceptual induction task but not after the semantic induction task. These results demonstrate that unconscious cognition is influenced by attentional control. Unconscious processes in perceptual and semantic processing streams are coordinated congruently with higher-level action goals.

Organisation(en)
Institut für Psychologie der Kognition, Emotion und Methoden
Externe Organisation(en)
Universität Osnabrück, Universität Ulm
Journal
Psychological Science
Band
22
Seiten
282-291
Anzahl der Seiten
10
ISSN
0956-7976
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797610397056
Publikationsdatum
02-2011
Peer-reviewed
Ja
ÖFOS 2012
501001 Allgemeine Psychologie
Schlagwörter
ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete
Allgemeine Psychologie
Link zum Portal
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/6ba56af2-0fc9-4d72-b751-65876f633a35