Why did I do that? Explaining actions activated outside of awareness

Ana P. Gantman; Marieke A. Adriaanse; Peter M. Gollwitzer; Gabriele Oettingen

doi:10.3758/s13423-017-1260-5

Why did I do that? Explaining actions activated outside of awareness

Ana P. Gantman, Marieke A. Adriaanse, Peter M. Gollwitzer, Gabriele Oettingen

Psychology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

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.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1563-1572
Number of pages	10
Journal	Psychonomic Bulletin and Review
Volume	24
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3758/s13423-017-1260-5
State	Published - Oct 1 2017

Keywords

Confabulation
Explanatory vacuum
Nonconscious goal pursuit
Priming

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Developmental and Educational Psychology
Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)

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10.3758/s13423-017-1260-5

Cite this

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abstract = "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.",

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AU - Gollwitzer, Peter M.

AU - Oettingen, Gabriele

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AB - 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.

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Why did I do that? Explaining actions activated outside of awareness

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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