TY  - RPRT
        AU  - McElroy, Todd
AU  - Dickinson, David L.
        TI  - Testing the Advantages of Conscious vs. Unconscious Thought for Complex Decisions in a Distraction Free Paradigm
        PY  - 2016/Nov/
        PB  - Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
        CY  - Bonn
        T2  - IZA Discussion Paper
        IS  - 10347
        UR  - https://www.iza.org/index.php/publications/dp10347
        AB  - In this study we test predictions from Unconscious Thought Theory (UTT) that unconscious thought will lead to better decision making in complex decision tasks relative to conscious thought. Different from prior work testing this prediction, we use a method of manipulating conscious and unconscious thinking that is free from distraction. Specifically, we use a 3-week protocol to experimentally induce adverse sleep and circadian states, both of which should reduce deliberative, conscious thinking and therefore increase the relative importance of more automatic unconscious processes. Our findings fail to support UTT predictions and instead coalesce with other replication attempts that cast doubt on the superiority of unconscious processing in complex decision making.
        KW  - sleep restriction
KW  - circadian
KW  - complex decisions
KW  - decision making
KW  - unconscious reasoning
KW  - sleep
KW  - experiments
KW  - behavioral economics
        ER  -