Unconscious thought theory (UTT) posits that the unconscious mind is capable of performing tasks outside of one's awareness, and that unconscious thought (UT) is better at solving complex tasks, where many variables are considered, than conscious thought (CT), but is outperformed by conscious thought in tasks with fewer variables. It was proposed by Ap Dijksterhuis[1] and Loran Nordgren[2] in 2006.
The theory is based primarily on findings from comparing subjects presented with a complex decision (for instance which of several apartments is the best?), and allowed either (1). very little time, (2). ample time, or (3), ample time but are distracted and thereby prevented from devoting conscious attentional resources to it. It is claimed that subjects unable to devote conscious processing to the task outperform both those who can spend time deliberating and those who must respond immediately.[3] Dijksterhuis and Nordgren interpreted these findings as strong support for the idea of UT being superior to CT, and used them in part to justify six principles distinguishing UT from CT.
This position runs counter to most research on unconscious processing conducted over the last 40 years, which has found unconscious processes to be characterized by simple responses, and to be incapable of complex operations.[4] Unconscious Thought Theory has come under stiff criticism from researchers unable to replicate the original effects.[5][6][7]
"When making a decision of minor importance, I have always found it advantageous to consider all the pros and cons. In vital matters however ... the decision should come from the unconscious, from somewhere within ourselves."
— Sigmund Freud, cited in Dijksterhuis (2004)[3]
^Dijksterhuis, A. Unconscious Lab: Ap Dijksterhuis [cited 6 June 2010]; Available from: <http://www.unconsciouslab.com/index.php?page=People&subpage=Ap%20Dijksterhuis Archived 9 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine>
^Nordgren, L. Loran Nordgren [cited 6 June 2010]; Available from: http://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/faculty/directory/nordgren_loran.aspx
^ abDijksterhuis, A. (2004). "Think Different: The Merits of Unconscious Thought in Preference Development and Decision Making". Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 87 (5): 586–598. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.110.3811. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.87.5.586. PMID 15535773.
^Greenwald, A (1992). "New Look 3: Unconscious Cognition Reclaimed". American Psychologist. 47 (6): 766–779. doi:10.1037/0003-066x.47.6.766. PMID 1616174.
^Abbot, A, (2015). Unconscious thought not so smart after all.
^Newell, B. R.; Shanks, D. R. (2014). "Unconscious influences on decision making: A critical review" (PDF). Behavioral and Brain Sciences. 38 (1): 1–19. doi:10.1017/S0140525X12003214. PMID 24461214. S2CID 54552259.
^Nieuwenstein, M. R.; Wierenga, T.; Morey, R. D.; Wicherts, J. M.; Blom, T. N.; Wagenmakers, E.-J.; van Rijn, H. (2015). "On making the right choice: A meta-analysis and large-scale replication attempt of the unconscious thought advantage" (PDF). Judgment and Decision Making. 10 (1): 1–17. doi:10.1017/S1930297500003144. S2CID 3525446.
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