We often fail to detect clearly visible, yet unexpected objects when our attention is otherwise engaged, a phenomenon widely known as inattentional blindness. The potentially devastating consequences and the mediators of such failures of awareness have been studied extensively. Surprisingly, however, hardly anything is known about whether and how we process the objects that go unnoticed during inattentional blindness. In 2 experiments, we demonstrate that the meaning of objects undetected due to inattentional blindness interferes with the classification of attended stimuli. Responses were significantly slower when the semantic content of an undetected stimulus contradicted that of the attended, to-be-judged object. We thus clarify the depth of the "blindness" caused by inattention, as we provide compelling evidence that failing to detect the unexpected does not preclude its processing, even at postperceptual stages. Despite inattentional blindness, our mind obviously still has access to something as refined as meaning. (PsycINFO Database Record
In groups, individuals often adjust their behavior to the majority’s. Here, we provide a brief introduction into the research on social conformity and review the first, very recent investigations elucidating the underlying neurocognitive mechanisms. Multiple studies suggest that conformity is a behavioral adjustment based on reinforcement-learning mechanisms in posterior medial frontal cortex and ventral striatum. It has also been suggested that the detection of cognitive inconsistency and the modulation of basic encoding processes are involved. Together, recent findings provide valuable insight into the neural and cognitive mechanisms underlying social conformity and clearly point up the need for further studies in this field.
Perceiving one's deviance from the majority usually instigates conformal adjustments of one's own behavior to that of the group. Using ERPs, we investigated the mechanisms by which agreeing and disagreeing with the majority are differentially represented in the human brain and affect subsequent cognitive processing. Replicating previous findings obtained in a slightly different paradigm, we found that learning about one's disagreement with the majority, as compared to learning about one's agreement with the majority, elicited a mediofrontal feedback negativity. Moreover, an enhanced posterior late positive complex was observed during the processing of agreement as compared to disagreement. Finally, when the to-be-judged faces were viewed for a second time, a stronger posterior P2 was observed for faces on whose judgment one had previously agreed with the majority than for those on which one had disagreed. We thus demonstrate that the brain places particular emphasis on the encoding of the rewarding experience of finding strong social proof for one's judgments. Likewise, having experienced agreement on the judgment of a certain item affects even the later reanalysis of this very item, as previous agreement increases early attention, as reflected in the P2. These findings corroborate and extend previous results and theories on the neurocognitive principles of social influence.
Humans modify their behavior in a socially desirable way when being watched by others. We applied this basic idea to hand hygiene compliance, a behavior that is crucial for preventing germ transmission and successive infections in many settings. Building on the assumption that hand hygiene behavior is socially desirable, we assume that individuals show stronger hand hygiene compliance when being watched. In a field study in a women's public restroom (N = 354), we exposed individuals to a message advising that hand‐washing protects against the spread of pathogens. In the experimental condition, stylized human watching eyes were presented above the message. In the control condition, three stars were presented. Analysis revealed a significantly higher percentage of hand hygiene compliance in the watching eyes condition (83.3%) compared to the control condition (71.9%; odds ratio: 1.95, p = .01). The applied value for employers and public institutions is discussed.
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