Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Investigating the Neural Mechanisms of Aware and Unaware Fear Memory with fMRI
Published on: October 6, 2011
[Effect of the level of stimulus awareness on expectancy learning]
José Luis Marcos Malmierca1, Alfonso Barca Lozano
1Universidad de A Coruña, Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación, A Coruña, Spain. jlmarc@udc.es
Abstract:
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.
More Related Videos
05:22Dissociation of the Confounding Influences of Expectancy and Integrative Difficulty Residing in Anomalous Sentences in Event-related Potential Studies
Published on: May 9, 2019
08:05Measuring Statistical Learning Across Modalities and Domains in School-Aged Children Via an Online Platform and Neuroimaging Techniques
Published on: June 30, 2020
Related Concept Videos
Purposive Learning
Cognitive Learning
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
High-Level and Low-Level Awareness
Optimal Arousal Theory
Inverted U-Shaped Performance Curve
The...
Associative Learning
Classical conditioning, also known...
Understanding Consciousness
Sleep, a crucial state, is characterized by reduced physical...