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Jiang R. Unconsciously triggered cognitive conflict influences perceptual choice in active and sedentary individuals. Front Hum Neurosci 2024; 18:1400930. [PMID: 38911228 PMCID: PMC11191548 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1400930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction People who regularly exercise and receive training perform better when actioning unconscious cognitive tasks. The information flow triggered by a single unconscious visual stimulus has been extensively investigated, but it remains unclear whether multiple unconscious visual stimuli interact. This study aimed to explore the relationship between three simultaneous subliminal arrow stimuli (pointing in same or different directions), focusing on how they interact with each other and the subsequent priming effect on the target arrow in active and sedentary groups. Methods We used a priming paradigm combining flanker task to test the hypothesis. A total of 42 participants were recruited. Of these, 22 constituted the active group and 20 constituted the sedentary group. Results Behavioral data results revealed that the main effects of group and prime-target compatibility were significant. In the neurophysiological data, prime-target compatibility significantly influenced the latency of PP1. The amplitude of TP1 and TN2 mainly influenced the prime-flanker congruency. The prime-flanker congruency and groups interacted when the prime-target showed sufficient compatibility. The prime-flanker congruency, and the prime-target compatibility considerably influenced the TP3 amplitude in the anterior central frontal region (CZ electrode point). Conclusion Event-related potentials revealed the interactions between conscious processing and subliminal conflict in the early stages of perceptual and attention processing (target-related P1 potential component). These results suggest that exercise is helpful for coping with unconscious cognitive conflict.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruichen Jiang
- School of Teacher Education, Anqing Normal University, Anqing, China
- Institute of Educational Neuroscience, Anqing Normal University, Anqing, China
- Affective Computing and Intelligent Learning Cognitive Psychology Experimental Center, Anqing Normal University, Anqing, China
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Li C, Liu Q, Liu Y, Jou J, Tu S. Unconscious Integration of Categorical Relationship of Two Subliminal Numbers in Comparison with "5". Behav Sci (Basel) 2024; 14:296. [PMID: 38667092 PMCID: PMC11047637 DOI: 10.3390/bs14040296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 03/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Many studies have shown that the brain can process subliminal numerals, i.e., participants can categorize a subliminal number into two categories: greater than 5 or less than 5. In the context of many studies on the unconscious integration of multiple subliminal stimuli, the issue of whether multiple subliminal numbers can be integrated is contentious. The same-different task is regarded as a perfect tool to explore unconscious integration. In the two experiments reported, we used a same-different task in which a pair of masked prime numbers was followed by a pair of target numbers, and participants were asked to decide whether the two target numbers were on the same (both smaller or larger than 5) or different sides (one smaller, the other larger than 5) of 5 in magnitude. The results indicated that the prime numbers could be categorized unconsciously, which was reflected by the category priming effect, and that the unconscious category relationship of the two prime numbers could affect the judgment on the category relationship of the two target numbers, as reflected by the response priming effect. The duration of the prime-to-target interstimulus interval (ISI) was also manipulated, showing a positive compatibility effect (PCE) of category priming and a negative compatibility effect (NCE) of response priming no matter whether the ISI was short (50 ms) or long (150 ms). The NCE, which occurred when the prime-to-target ISI was relatively short in this study, contradicted the conventional view but was consistent with previous results of unconscious integration based on an attention modulation mechanism. Importantly, this study provided evidence for the still-under-debate issue of numerical information integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changjun Li
- Applied Psychology, School of Politics and Law, Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou 075000, China
| | - Qingying Liu
- Applied Psychology, School of Public Administration, Guizhou University of Finance and Economics, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Yingjuan Liu
- Applied Psychology, School of Public Administration, Guizhou University of Finance and Economics, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Jerwen Jou
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX 78539, USA
| | - Shen Tu
- Applied Psychology, School of Public Administration, Guizhou University of Finance and Economics, Guiyang 550025, China
- Institute of Security Development and Modernized Governance, Guizhou University of Finance and Economics, Guiyang 550025, China
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Wang D, Yan J, Li J, Jou J, Jiang J, Qiu J, Tu S. Multiple sources of unconscious-information processing affect a single response: independent unconscious priming effects. THE JOURNAL OF GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY 2024:1-29. [PMID: 38407136 DOI: 10.1080/00221309.2024.2321536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
At present there is little knowledge on whether and how multiple pieces of unconscious information can simultaneously affect a single conscious response. In the present study, we manipulated the congruency relation between a masked prime arrow and the target arrow, as well as that between masked flankers and the target arrow. The results demonstrated that the masked prime and flankers produced independent unconscious priming effects on the response to the target. In the process of studying the above phenomenon, two secondary findings were made. First, although the prime congruency effect was obtained, the flanker congruency effect was smaller when the flankers were displayed simultaneously with the target than when they were displayed sequentially before the target. This suggested that priming stimulation required enough time to be processed to a sufficient extent to produce an unconscious priming effect. Second, when the prime stimulus was removed, leaving only the flankers, the flanker priming effect increased, suggesting that the attention attracted to the prime and its conscious mask could also reduce the flanker congruency effect. These results observed across several experiments were replicated in one within-subjects experiment. We proposed an "independent unconscious influence hypothesis" for the phenomenon. This hypothesis was further integrated into a more comprehensive unconscious information processing model. The possible causes of the observed phenomena were discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jun Li
- Guizhou University of Finance and Economics
| | | | | | | | - Shen Tu
- Guizhou University of Finance and Economics
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Liu C, Tu S, Gong S, Guan J, Shi Z, Chen Y. The Unconscious Tug-of-War: Exploring the Effect of Stimulus Selection Bias on Creative Problem Solving with Multiple Unconscious Stimuli. Psychol Res Behav Manag 2023; 16:3987-4002. [PMID: 37790727 PMCID: PMC10544007 DOI: 10.2147/prbm.s420942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective This study innovatively investigated the potential selection bias involved in processing multiple subliminal stimuli during creative problem-solving (CPS). It addresses the existing gap in specialized research on how the handling of multiple unconscious stimuli influences higher-order cognitive processes, particularly creativity. Methods The study utilized a masked priming paradigm and a remote association task (RAT). Two experiments were conducted. Experiment 1 presented two stimuli simultaneously, with one being the correct answer, to examine whether there was a bias in the location of subliminal stimuli. In Experiment 2, two stimuli were presented sequentially, with one serving as the answer, to investigate whether there was a temporal bias in unconscious processing. Results Our findings revealed that when solving easy RATs, subliminal stimuli presented on the left side had a negative priming effect compared to the right side. The results revealed that unconscious processing of subliminal stimuli enhanced performance on difficult CPS. Additionally, a temporal bias was observed, with more recent subliminal stimuli having a stronger effect than earlier stimuli. Conclusion Unconscious processing can improve CPS, especially for difficult tasks, and there is a bias towards processing stimuli on the left and more recently presented stimuli. These findings contribute to our understanding of unconscious processing, particularly the processing of multiple subliminal stimuli in CPS, and provide insights into the biases that exist in unconscious processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengzhen Liu
- Department of Psychology, Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, People’s Republic of China
- School of Humanities and Management Science, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 626000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shen Tu
- Department of Psychology, School of Public Administration, Guizhou University of Finance and Economics, Guiyang, 550025, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shikang Gong
- Department of Psychology, Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jinliang Guan
- Department of Psychology, Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zifu Shi
- Department of Psychology, Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yi Chen
- School of Humanities and Management Science, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 626000, People’s Republic of China
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Zher-Wen, Yu R. Unconscious integration: Current evidence for integrative processing under subliminal conditions. Br J Psychol 2023; 114:430-456. [PMID: 36689339 DOI: 10.1111/bjop.12631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Integrative processing is traditionally believed to be dependent on consciousness. While earlier studies within the last decade reported many types of integration under subliminal conditions (i.e. without perceptual awareness), these findings are widely challenged recently. This review evaluates the current evidence for 10 types of subliminal integration that are widely studied: arithmetic processing, object-context integration, multi-word processing, same-different processing, multisensory integration and 5 different types of associative learning. Potential methodological issues concerning awareness measures are also taken into account. It is concluded that while there is currently no reliable evidence for subliminal integration, this does not necessarily refute 'unconscious' integration defined through non-subliminal (e.g. implicit) approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zher-Wen
- Department of Management, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China.,Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore City, Singapore
| | - Rongjun Yu
- Department of Management, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
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Hirschhorn R, Kahane O, Gur-Arie I, Faivre N, Mudrik L. Windows of Integration Hypothesis Revisited. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 14:617187. [PMID: 33519404 PMCID: PMC7840615 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.617187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the ongoing research of the functions of consciousness, special emphasis has been put on integration of information: the ability to combine different signals into a coherent, unified one. Several theories of consciousness hold that this ability depends on - or at least goes hand in hand with - conscious processing. Yet some empirical findings have suggested otherwise, claiming that integration of information could take place even without awareness. Trying to reconcile this apparent contradiction, the "windows of integration" (WOI) hypothesis claims that conscious access enables signal processing over large integration windows. The hypothesis applies to integration windows defined either temporally, spatially, or semantically. In this review, we explain the hypothesis and re-examine it in light of new studies published since it was suggested. In line with the hypothesis, these studies provide compelling evidence for unconscious integration, but also demonstrate its limits with respect to time, space, and semantic distance. The review further highlights open questions that still need to be pursued to demonstrate the applicability of the WOI hypothesis as a guiding principle for understanding the depth and scope of unconscious processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rony Hirschhorn
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Ofer Kahane
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Inbal Gur-Arie
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Nathan Faivre
- Laboratoire de Psychologie et Neurocognition (LPNC), CNRS UMR 5105, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Liad Mudrik
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
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Wang Y, Chen J, Ku Y. Subliminal affective priming effect: Dissociated processes for intense versus normal facial expressions. Brain Cogn 2020; 148:105674. [PMID: 33388551 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2020.105674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Positive vs. negative intense-facial expressions are difficult to explicitly distinguish; yet, whether they dissociate when subliminally presented remains unclear. Through three experiments using affective priming paradigms, we assessed how intense facial expressions, when presented briefly (17 ms) and masked, influenced following neutral ambiguous words (Experiment 1) or visible facial expressions (Experiments 2&3). We also compared these results with those of using normal facial expressions as primes in each experiment. All experiments indicated masked affective priming effects (biasing valence judgement of neutral words or facilitating reaction time to faces with the same valence as the prime) in normal facial expression, but not those intense ones. Experiment 3 using event related potentials (ERPs) further revealed that two ERP components N250 and LPP were consistent with behavioral changes in the normal condition (larger when valences of primes and targets were different), but inconsistent in the intense condition. Taken together, our results provided behavioral and neural evidence for distinctive processing between normal and intense facial expressions under masked condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanmei Wang
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Jie Chen
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Yixuan Ku
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience and Mental Health, Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China; Peng Cheng Laboratory, Shenzhen 518055, China.
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Tu S, Zhu S, Liang Q, Jou J, Wan S, Zhao G, Ma Y, Qiu J. Unconscious integration of sequentially presented subliminal arrow pointing directions. AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/ajpy.12252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shen Tu
- Department of Psychology, School of Public Administration, Guizhou University of Finance and Economics, Guiyang, China,
| | - Sishi Zhu
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Education, China West Normal University, Nanchong, China,
| | - Qiuxia Liang
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Education, China West Normal University, Nanchong, China,
| | - Jerwen Jou
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Texas—Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, Texas,
| | - Simin Wan
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Education, China West Normal University, Nanchong, China,
| | - Guang Zhao
- School of Psychology, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, China,
| | - Yidan Ma
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Education Science, Leshan Normal University, Leshan, China,
| | - Jiang Qiu
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China,
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9
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Oxner M, Corballis PM, Hayward WG. The relation of discrete stimuli can be integrated despite the failure of conscious identification. VISUAL COGNITION 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/13506285.2018.1541035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matt Oxner
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | | | - William G. Hayward
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Department of Psychology and ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and Its Disorders, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong
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10
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Avneon M, Lamy D. Reexamining unconscious response priming: A liminal-prime paradigm. Conscious Cogn 2018; 59:87-103. [PMID: 29329968 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2017.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Revised: 11/29/2017] [Accepted: 12/28/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Research on the limits of unconscious processing typically relies on the subliminal-prime paradigm. However, this paradigm is limited in the issues it can address. Here, we examined the implications of using the liminal-prime paradigm, which allows comparing unconscious and conscious priming with constant stimulation. We adapted an iconic demonstration of unconscious response priming to the liminal-prime paradigm. On the one hand, temporal attention allocated to the prime and its relevance to the task increased the magnitude of response priming. On the other hand, the longer RTs associated with the dual task inherent to the paradigm resulted in response priming being underestimated, because unconscious priming effects were shorter-lived than conscious-priming effects. Nevertheless, when the impact of long RTs was alleviated by considering the fastest trials or by imposing a response deadline, conscious response priming remained considerably larger than unconscious response priming. These findings suggest that conscious perception strongly modulates response priming.
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Wang D, Tang L, Liang Q, Jou J, Ma Y, Pan W, Tu S. Unconscious integration of pointing relation between two masked arrows. VISUAL COGNITION 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/13506285.2017.1358785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dingding Wang
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Education, China West Normal University, Nanchong, China
| | - Liming Tang
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Education, China West Normal University, Nanchong, China
| | - Qiuxia Liang
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Education, China West Normal University, Nanchong, China
| | - Jerwen Jou
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, USA
| | - Yidan Ma
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Education Science, Leshan Normal University, Leshan, China
| | - Weigang Pan
- Laboratory of Emotion and Mental Health, Chongqing University of Arts and Sciences, Chongqing, China
| | - Shen Tu
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Education, China West Normal University, Nanchong, China
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