Steven J. Haase

Exclusion failure does not demonstrate unconscious perception II: Evidence from a forced-choice exclusion task

Systematic failure to perform exclusion (making a response that opposes the participants natural inclinations) for briefly displayed, masked words has been interpreted as evidence of unconscious perception. The present study required participants to make a forced-choice exclusion after viewing masked word targets. The forced-choice exclusion task was properly performed in all experiments, in contrast to previous studies that have utilized stem-completion as a dependent variable. The exclusion failure effects interpreted as unconscious perception in earlier studies appear to be caused by an insensitive dependent variable (stem-completion) rather than unconscious perception.

Electrotactile perception of scatterplots on the fingertips and abdomen

A comparison of auditory and visual perception of scatterplots showed similar correlation estimation performance in both modalities. The present study replicated this experiment using electrotactile (electrocutaneous) presentation of scatterplots on the fingertips and abdomen, as well as visual presentation. The correlation estimation task resulted in a slightly poorer performance on electrotactile scatterplots (abdomen r=+0.847; fingertip r=+0.723) compared with the previous Flowers auditory displays (r=+0.91). There were similar levels of performance in the visual (control) condition in both the studies (r for both approx.+0.91). The performance in the correlation estimation task was similar across the two electrotactile displays, with perhaps a slight, but not significant (p=0.077), advantage for the abdominal array. However, a preliminary digit identification task on both displays produced a better performance on the fingertip display (p<0.05), suggesting that the relative performance of the two displays may be task specific. The present results demonstrate electrotactile perception of complex graphs and provide useful information for improving future versions of tactile displays.

Valid distinctions between conscious and unconscious perception

In this commentary, we discuss the strengths and limitations of Snodgrass, Bernat, and Shevrin’s (2004) theory of unconscious perception. Our commentary centers on the value of signal detection theory (SDT) to understanding the unconscious perception controversy, a value that Snodgrass et al. for the most part agree with (i.e., that most approaches to studying unconscious perception are invalid because they have confounded the criterion for detection with the criterion for awareness). However, we believe that their model relies on a somewhat restricted application of SDT. We discuss how SDT can be better applied to provide the necessary tests to validate their model.

Breaking the Ties That Bind: From Corporate Sustainability to Socially Sustainable Systems

Although the recent push toward sustainability is certainly generally a positive development in business and society, we can see many problems in the execution of the theory of sustainability. Where the triple bottom line calls on companies to weigh effects on stakeholders and the environment alongside profit, in practice in many cases, sustainability has been perverted to represent sustainable profits. In these cases, environmental impact and effects on people are only important insofar as they positively contribute to a firm‘s future profits. It is not only practitioners who have often espoused this misappropriated view of sustainability but also academics have lent credibility to this view. In this work, we start by criticizing the often espoused current view of sustainability and remind academics of their responsibility to adapt a more critical view of this narrow focus. We provide examples that show how the current system of capitalism has resulted in outcomes for people and the environment that are patently unacceptable. Reasons are given as to why there is much hesitation to change the status quo. We then call on academics to reexamine what the role of businesses should be within society, what obligations business and corporations should have in society, and how we can encourage meaningful change that results in a better world for future generations.

A comparison of signal detection theory to the objective threshold/strategic model of unconscious perception.

A key problem in unconscious perception research is ruling out the possibility that weak conscious awareness of stimuli might explain the results. In the present study, signal detection theory was compared with the objective threshold/strategic model as explanations of results for detection and identification sensitivity in a commonly used unconscious perception task. In the task, 64 undergraduate participants detected and identified one of four briefly displayed, visually masked letters. Identification was significantly above baseline (i.e., proportion correct > .25) at the highest detection confidence rating. This result is most consistent with signal detection theorys continuum of sensory states and serves as a possible index of conscious perception. However, there was limited support for the other model in the form of a predicted “lookers inhibition” effect, which produced identification performance that was significantly below baseline. One additional result, an interaction between the target stimulus and type of mask, raised concerns for the generality of unconscious perception effects.

Breaking the Ties that Bind: From Corporate Sustainability to Socially Sustainable Systems

Although the recent push towards sustainability is certainly generally a positive development in business and society, we can see many problems in the execution of the theory of sustainability. Whe...

Democracy, Militancy, and Union Revitalization, The DeMReV Model of Union Renewal: A Sustainable, Strategic Model Expanding on Voss and Sherman Model

Abstract The purpose of this chapter is to develop a model of union reform that may help to revitalize the labor movement. Our model presents a path using democracy and militancy to overcome union oligarchy to build stronger unions and a stronger broader movement. We develop a new model of union revitalization by expanding the Voss and Sherman (2000) model from our own experiences and a review of past union revitalization efforts. Democratic and militant strategies are a key to successful reform efforts. Entrenched union leaders tend to oppose such efforts. Reformers must adequately overcome entrenched leader responses to succeed in reforming their unions. We have developed a new conceptual model of union revitalization. Our model should be tested further through in-depth case studies and analysis of reform efforts which have failed or succeeded. Our model presents strategies and tactics for labor activists to revitalize their unions and the labor movement. We present a new model of union revitalization that looks at both internal and external union revitalization. This chapter accumulates evidence across reform efforts throughout the modern history of unions. This comparative and contrasting analysis of the evidence from these efforts is a unique contribution to the field. Further, the resulting model from this review presents a unique focus on the strategies and tactics of reform efforts as well as the interaction between union reform efforts and entrenched leaders. This model provides a path for both future research and practical revitalization efforts.