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The scope of unconscious processing has long been, and still remains, a hotly debated issue. This is driven in part by the current diversity of methods to manipulate and measure perceptual consciousness. Here, we provide ten recommendations and nine outstanding issues about designing experimental paradigms, analyzing data, and reporting the results of studies on unconscious processing. These were formed through dialogue among a group of researchers representing a range of theoretical backgrounds. We acknowledge that some of these recommendations naturally do not align with some existing approaches and are likely to change following theoretical and methodological development. Nevertheless, we hold that at this stage of the field they are instrumental in evoking a much-needed discussion about the norms of studying unconscious processes and helping researchers make more informed decisions when designing experiments. In the long run, we aim for this paper and future discussions around the outstanding issues to lead to a more convergent corpus of knowledge about the extent - and limits - of unconscious processing.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X25101489 | DOI Listing |
Front Neural Circuits
September 2025
Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council (CNR), Pisa, Italy.
Neural circuits sculpt their structure and modify the strength of their connections to effectively adapt to the external stimuli throughout life. In response to practice and experience, the brain learns to distinguish previously undetectable stimulus features recurring in the external environment. The unconscious acquisition of improved perceptual abilities falls into a form of implicit learning known as perceptual learning.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPsychol Res
September 2025
Berlin School of Mind and Brain & Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
The existence of free will has been called into question by Benjamin Libet's seminal experiment, who argued that our conscious decision is preceded by an unconscious decision reflected in the readiness potential (RP). Alternatively, it has been argue that the RP rather reflects a decision process in which different signals accumulate until they reach the intention threshold, at which point an agent experience their intention simultaneously. This raises the question what type of signal is accumulated given that no external information is provided.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnesthesiology
October 2025
Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Anaesthesia, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
Despite the widespread use of clinical anesthesia, the process of emergence from general anesthesia remains primarily driven by anesthetic elimination. Although emergence from general anesthesia is typically safe, prolonged delays strain resource-intensive settings and contribute to increased healthcare costs. In addition to improving access to care, providing clinicians with more precise control over emergence could offer diagnostic potential and improve patient outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAm Psychol
September 2025
State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Science and Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
In cluttered and complex natural scenes, selective attention enables the visual system to prioritize relevant information. This process is guided not only by perceptual cues but also by imagined ones. The current research extends the imagery-induced attentional bias to the unconscious level and reveals its cross-category applicability between different social cues (e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Psychol
August 2025
Universidad Privada Norbert Wiener, Vicerrectorado de Investigación, Lima, Peru.
This article presents a novel perspective on the structure and function of the human cortex, grounded in the Sociobiological Informational Theory (SIT). SIT offers a conceptual framework that integrates biological, psychological, and social dimensions of brain activity, challenging traditional anatomical and physiological models. Under this perspective, the neocortex is interpreted as the system of consciousness, while the paleocortex is associated with unconscious processes.
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