Unconscious perception occurs below the threshold of conscious awareness and can affect sensory, auditory, and visual perception. It can lead to automatic habits and is vulnerable to subliminal suggestions. Some researchers believe it is equal in strength and accuracy to conscious perception.
Unconscious perception is a term used to describe mental impressions that occur below the threshold of conscious awareness. Evidence of this type of perception can affect or include sensory, auditory, and visual perception. Unconscious perception is the area of consciousness in which certain habits can form and is one of many theories of perception.
Also called subconscious thinking, unconscious perception is often vulnerable to subliminal suggestions. For example, on a hot summer day an individual may see a fleeting photograph of a frozen dessert and, without even consciously paying attention to the photo, develop a growing desire to go out and purchase that dessert. While the conscious mind may try to resist that sweet by reasoning that it contains too many calories or too much sugar, some kind of unconscious perception has taken root and caused that craving.
Other types of perception may also play a role in unconscious impressions. For example, a certain auditory or sensory perception can cause unconscious reactions to stimuli. Researchers studying the psychology of perception have found that of patients rendered unconscious by anesthesia during the surgical process, some can recall events that occurred during the surgery. Since the patient’s mind was placed in a controlled unconscious state during such procedures, it was concluded that a person’s unconscious perception is responsible for such memories.
Research has been conducted to determine whether certain habits are formed or exist at levels of this type of perception. For example, habits such as immediately noticing differences between people based on gender or race are automatic for some individuals in that they do so without even consciously noticing their thought patterns. In some cases, a subconscious perception like this can even affect how people interact with each other. Only through repeated conscious effort can a habit like this be changed if a person so desires.
While most of the published research suggests that unconscious perception is inferior to conscious perception, not all researchers believe this to be true. Some believe that unconscious thought patterns are in many ways equal in strength and accuracy to those that occur consciously. There are also some who believe that certain unconscious suggestions can even overwhelm conscious choice, although more research is needed to determine if this is actually true. As researchers continue to explore the effects of unconscious perception, questions and debates also persist about how to go about measuring it accurately.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
