Preconscious Processing Effects: The Independence of Attitude Formation and Conscious Thought

Abstract

Two experiments investigate the formation of attitudes toward unattended stimuli. In Experiment 1, a presentation format that encourages processing at a preconscious level demonstrates that attitude formation can occur independently of conscious consideration. Alternative theoretical explanations are offered to account for the purported independence of conscious thought and preference formation, and Experiment 2 is a test of these alternatives. The results of Experiment 2 suggest that consumers use differential hemispheric strategies for task performance to form preconsciously based attitudes. A post hoc analysis is conducted to advance more explicit claims about the operational nature of the underlying preconscious processes.