"Compensatory Automaticity: Unconscious volition is not an oxymoron"

Nach fast drei Jahrzehnten Forschung über Automatismus und Konstruktaktivierung ist eindeutig gezeigt worden, dass vieles im menschlichen Leben ohne Bewusstsein und ohne Beabsichtigung geschieht. Laut kognitiver Psychologie werden automatische Prozesse unvermeidlich durch die Gegenwart eines bestimmten Umweltreizes ausgelöst. Sie verlaufen schnell und mühelos und sind nicht korrigierbar. Auch in der Sozialpsychologie hat das Konzept des Automatismus einen wichtigen Platz eingenommen, jedoch wurden einige der getroffenen Annahmen in Frage gestellt. Neuere Untersuchungen ergaben, dass automatische Antworten zwar nicht beabsichtigt, aber doch vermeidbar wären. Es scheint, dass unbewusste Vigilanz (Wachsamkeit) für Fehler zu korrigierenden Prozessen führen kann, welche auch unbewusst und ohne Absicht funktionieren. Wir vermuten also, dass das Unbewusste auch eigene Verarbeitungsziele hat (z.B. Genauigkeit), auf Gefahren für die Erreichung dieser Ziele aufmerksam machen kann und diese Gefahren zu kompensieren versucht. Man könnte dies als „kompensatorischen Automatismus“ bezeichnen, sprich: strategisches, unbewusstes Kompensieren für nicht beabsichtigte Gedanken, Gefühle und Verhaltensweisen. Manchen mag dies paradox erscheinen, weil Automatismus oft mit Kontrolloder Intentionsverlust gleichgesetzt wird. Nichtsdestotrotz muss man die Möglichkeit in Betracht ziehen, dass Absicht auf verschiedenen Bewusstseinsebenen operiert. Zum Beispiel können unbewusste Absichten (Ziele), wenn sie offensichtlich an ihrer Ausführung behindert werden, von automatischen Prozessen unterstützt und beschützt werden.

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