Personalizing the Unconscious: a Cognitive, Neural and Developmental Investigation

Introduction

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 argue that unconscious processes are limited to routine, simple operations.

Gaps in Knowledge

Currently, there are two gaps in this body of knowledge:

1. The field has almost solely examined group-level findings, without taking individual differences into account.
2. 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.

Proposed Framework

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).

Hypothesis

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.

Neural Mechanisms

Starting with a task for which evidence for stable individual differences exists, I suggest three possible neural mechanisms that can explain such differences. These mechanisms will be tested using:

• Electrophysiology
• Neuroimaging
• Developmental studies

Novel Protocol

I also introduce a novel protocol for pitting conscious and unconscious processing against each other, and biasing this competition via feedback.

Large-Scale Study

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.

Conclusion

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.