Project description
The interplay between conscious and unconscious processes
Does consciousness resemble the tip of an iceberg, concealing a vast unconscious realm beneath it? Some researchers claim that we can execute any cognitive function without awareness, while others contend that only simple tasks can be performed unconsciously. Yet the field of knowledge concerning this matter encounters two primary deficiencies. First and foremost, it predominantly concentrates on collective-level discoveries, disregarding individual variations. Secondly, the research has solely scrutinised specific processes at distinct time points. The ERC-funded IndUncon project seeks to introduce a novel framework based on the concept that individuals might exhibit differences in their susceptibility to unconscious processing. This enduring characteristic can elucidate contradictory findings and offer fresh insights into the interplay between conscious and unconscious processes.
Objective
Consciousness is often described as the tip of the iceberg, under which a rich unconscious world exists. But is this metaphor accurate?The literature provides a mixture of contradicting findings, with some claiming that almost any cognitive function can be performed without awareness, while others arguing that unconscious processes are limited to routine, simple operations.Currently there are two gaps in this body of knowledge, though; first, the field has almost solely examined group-level findings, without taking individual differences into account. Second, it is based on studies probing specific processes at specific time points; no study to date has tried to take a more global approach, looking for common mechanisms that persist over time, and potentially over tasks.
Here, I aim at bridging over these two gaps, providing a novel framework: I suggest that individuals consistently differ in their Susceptibility to Unconscious Processing (SUP). I hypothesize that SUP is a stable trait that can explain conflicting findings and shed new light on the interplay between conscious and unconscious processes. Starting with a task for which evidence for stable individual differences exist, I suggest three possible neural mechanisms that can explain such differences. These mechanisms will be tested using electrophysiology, neuroimaging, and developmental studies. I also introduce a novel protocol for pitting conscious and unconscious processing against each other, and biasing this competition via feedback.Finally I will conduct a large-scale study testing the riskier hypothesis that SUP might not only be stable over time, but also across tasks.Together this study will provide a much needed, unparalleled systematic investigation of the reliability and replicability of key findings in the field.
This research strives for a paradigmatic shift in the way we conceptualize, study and utilize unconscious processes, laying the foundations for a new science of the unconscious.
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Topic(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC GrantsHost institution
69978 Tel Aviv
Israel