The four horsemen of automaticity: awareness, intention, efficiency, and control in social cognition

Abstract

Automaticity in social cognition comprises four distinct but interrelated features: awareness, intentionality, efficiency, and controllability. Contrary to traditional dichotomous models that categorize mental processes as either entirely automatic or entirely controlled, complex social phenomena typically involve varying combinations of these qualities. These processes are classified as preconscious, postconscious, or goal-dependent based on the specific conditions necessary for their activation. Preconscious processes, such as automatic evaluation and stereotype activation, occur unintentionally and without awareness upon the mere presence of a environmental stimulus. Postconscious processes depend on the residual activation of recent conscious thought, while goal-dependent processes require an initial intent but proceed efficiently and autonomously once initiated. Research in subliminal perception and misattribution indicates that a lack of awareness regarding the influence of a stimulus, rather than the stimulus itself, is what precludes the exercise of intentional control. However, the outcomes of automatic processes are not mandatory; they are subject to moderation or inhibition through situational motivations, internal values, and the deliberate allocation of attentional resources. A decomposition of automaticity into these constituent elements reveals that while the environment frequently triggers initial social perceptions, individuals may maintain ultimate control over their subsequent judgments and behaviors. – AI-generated abstract.