Nonconscious acquisition of information

The authors review and summarize evidence for the process of acquisition of information outside of conscious awareness (covariations, nonconscious indirect and interactive inferences, self-perpetuation of procedural knowledge). Data indicate that as compared with consciously controlled cognition, th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe American psychologist Vol. 47; no. 6; p. 796
Main Authors Lewicki, P, Hill, T, Czyzewska, M
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.06.1992
Subjects
Algorithms
Awareness
Freudian Theory
Humans
Intelligence
Mental Recall
Problem Solving
Subliminal Stimulation
Unconscious (Psychology)
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Summary:The authors review and summarize evidence for the process of acquisition of information outside of conscious awareness (covariations, nonconscious indirect and interactive inferences, self-perpetuation of procedural knowledge). Data indicate that as compared with consciously controlled cognition, the nonconscious information-acquisition processes are not only much faster but are also structurally more sophisticated, in that they are capable of efficient processing of multidimensional and interactive relations between variables. Those mechanisms of nonconscious acquisition of information provide a major channel for the development of procedural knowledge that is indispensable for such important aspects of cognitive functioning as encoding and interpretation of stimuli and the triggering of emotional reactions.
ISSN:0003-066X
DOI:10.1037/0003-066X.47.6.796