Research article summary (published 27 Feb 1995):

Activation by marginally perceptible ("subliminal") stimuli: dissociation of unconscious from conscious cognition.

Full Abstract

Introduces a linear regression method for investigating unconscious cognition. For words that were obscured by simultaneous dichoptic masking, indirect effects (semantic priming) and direct effects (perceptual identification) were assessed in 20 experiments (total N = 2,026). When measures of both indirect and direct effects have rational zero points, a statistically significant intercept in the indirect-on-direct-measure regression shows that (a) the indirect effect occurred in the absence of the direct effect, and (b) unconscious cognition is involved. For a position discrimination task, but not for an evaluative decision task, indirect-on-direct regression showed the significant intercept effect. Although small in magnitude, this intercept effect provides the statistically most secure finding yet obtained of a much-sought and controversial data pattern--indirect effect with no direct effect. With one added assumption (which appears plausible for the present data), this pattern indicates that unconscious cognition is dissociated from (i.e., occurs separately from) conscious cognition.

Author information

Author/s: Greenwald, A G (AG); Klinger, M R (MR); Schuh, E S (ES);

Affiliation: Department of Psychology NI-25, University of Washington, Seattle 98195.

Grants: MH41328 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Journal: Journal of experimental psychology. General (J Exp Psychol Gen), published in UNITED STATES. (Language: eng)

Reference: 1995-Mar; vol 124 (issue 1) : pp 22-42

Dates: Created 1995/04/26; Completed 1995/04/26; Revised 2007/11/14;

PMID: 7897340, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Cognition Humans Perception Perceptual Masking

Photic Stimulation Subliminal Stimulation Task Performance and Analysis Unconscious (Psychology)

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