Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 6, 2026

A Real-world What-Where-When Memory Test
Published on: May 16, 2017
Are awareness questionnaires valid? Investigating the use of posttest questionnaires for assessing awareness in
Terrence M Barnhardt1, Lisa Geraci
1Department of Psychology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA. tbarnhardt@tamu.edu
Abstract:
Two experiments--one employing a perceptual implicit memory test and the other a conceptual implicit memory test--investigated the validity of posttest questionnaires for determining the incidence of awareness in implicit memory tests. In both experiments, a condition in which none of the studied words could be used as test responses (i.e., the none-studied condition) was compared with a standard implicit test condition. Results showed that reports of awareness on the posttest questionnaire were much less frequent in the none-studied condition than in the standard condition. This was especially true after deep processing at study. In both experiments, 83% of the participants in the none-studied condition stated they were unaware even though there were strong demands for claiming awareness. Although there was a small bias in the questionnaire (i.e., 17% of the participants in the none-studied condition stated they were aware), overall, there was strong support for the validity of awareness questionnaires.
Related Concept Videos
Implicit Memories
One key aspect of implicit...
Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination
Subconsciousness and No Awareness
An illustrative example of subconscious processing is its role in problem-solving. Often, individuals...
Surveys

