Abstract
Effect of the level of stimulus awareness on expectancy learning. The purpose of this experiment was to study the effects of the level of awareness of the stimuli on expectancy learning. Nine-two participants received repeated presentations of two stimulus sequences (E1A E2A and E1B E2B), E1 being a masked stimulus. E2 were imperative stimuli for a reaction time (RT) task. After the acquisition phase, all participants were tested with 10 presentations of compatible (E1A E2A and E1B E2B) and incompatible (E1A E2B and E1B E2A) stimulus sequences. According to the awareness level of the masked E1 stimuli, the participants were divided into three groups. The RT in the testing phase was faster in compatible than in incompatible stimulus sequences, but only in the unconscious group. These results are considered strong evidence of expectancy learning without awareness of the stimuli and suggest that E1 awareness interferes the manifestation of expectancy learning.
