Why did I do that? Explaining actions activated outside of awareness.
We review the latest research investigating how people explain their own actions when they have been activated nonconsciously. We will discuss evidence that when nonconsciously activated behavior is unexpected (e.g., norm- violating, against self -standards), negative affect arises and triggers confabulations aimed to explain the behavior. Nonconsciously activated behaviors may provide a window into everyday confabulation of (erroneous) explanations for behavior, which may also affect self-knowledge. Implications for self-concept formation and intentionality are discussed.
Psychology Department and Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Peretsman Scully Hall, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA. agantman@princeton.edu.
Ana P
AP
Gantman
Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Marieke A
MA
Adriaanse
New York University, New York, NY, USA.|University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.
Peter M
PM
Gollwitzer
New York University, New York, NY, USA.|University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
Gabriele
G
Oettingen
D001364:Awareness; D032882:Comprehension; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008568:Memory; D011908:Rationalization; D012649:Self Concept; D014473:Unconscious, Psychology
Confabulation; Explanatory vacuum; Nonconscious goal pursuit; Priming