On the goal-dependency of unconscious thought

Bos, Maarten W.; Dijksterhuis, Ap; Baaren, Rick B. van

Bibtex export

@article{ Bos2008,
 title = {On the goal-dependency of unconscious thought},
 author = {Bos, Maarten W. and Dijksterhuis, Ap and Baaren, Rick B. van},
 journal = {Journal of Experimental Social Psychology},
 number = {4},
 pages = {1114-1120},
 volume = {44},
 year = {2008},
 doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2008.01.001},
 urn = {https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-253766},
 abstract = {Recent research has shown that unconscious thought can improve the quality of
complex decisions (Dijksterhuis, 2004; Dijksterhuis, Bos, Nordgren & Van Baaren,
2006). In the present research we investigate whether unconscious thought is goaldependent.
In four experiments participants were given information pertaining to a
decision problem or to an impression formation problem. Subsequently, they were either
given time to think consciously about the information or they were distracted for some
time, during which they could engage in unconscious thought. Of the participants that
were distracted however, some were given the goal to further process the information,
whereas others were not given such a goal. Our experiments clearly show that
unconscious thought is goal-dependent. Without a goal, people do not engage in
unconscious thought.},
}