There are experiments (eg. Underwood, 1965; Roediger & McDermott, in
press) in which false recognition of a word list has been induced by
implicit associative responses. That is, an early word on the list
might be intended to provoke an associate in your mind, but this will
be done implicitly. Later on you claim to recognise this associate,
even though it wasn't actually presented.
If we're all actually conscious and "running our own show", surely
under these conditions we wouldn't succumb to these false
recognitions, as it makes us look like spanners.
Also, I can't help feeling that the people who say a measure of
consciousness just isn't sensitive enough if it finds implicit
learning, are really just trying to move the goalposts. Surely the
fact that people aren't reporting "awareness" on a questionnaire is
exactly the point? Does consciousness not imply subjectivity?
I'm going now - I fancy a subliminal hot dog.
Mark.
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