A gap in Nisbett and Wilson’s findings? A first-person access to our cognitive processes

Abstract

The well-known experiments of Nisbett and Wilson lead to the conclusion that we have no introspective access to our decision-making processes. Johansson et al. have recently developed an original protocol consisting in manipulating covertly the relationship between the subjects' intended choice and the outcome they were presented with: in 79.6% of cases, they do not detect the manipulation and provide an explanation of the choice they did not make, confirming the findings of Nisbett and Wilson. We have reproduced this protocol, while introducing for some choices an expert guidance to the description of this choice. The subjects who were assisted detected the manipulation in 80% of cases. Our experiment confirms Nisbett and Wilson's findings that we are usually unaware of our decision processes, but goes further by showing that we can access them through specific mental acts.

The behavioral, experiential and conceptual dimensions of psychological phenomena: Body, soul and spirit

“…The bottom line here is that introspections in general are likewise nothing more than confabulations of a similar nature. But recent follow-up work has shown that when participants are suitably guided to reflect on their justification process they are in fact very well able to detect this manipulation (Petitmengin, Remillieux, Cahour, & Carter-Thomas, 2013). In other words, what the participants now report is consistent with what was actually expressed in their behavioral response e first-person introspection and third-person behavioral observation converge.…”

“…The elicitation interview approach in which the researcher guides the participant back to the point where a certain mental operation occurred (cf. Petitmengin et al, 2013) is useful in allowing the participant to step back into e and thereby more easily recall e the original experience. But note that it is even possible to emancipate the approach from an externally guiding researcher by scrutinizing one's own experience and then opening it to 4 Note that orienting attention can also take on a form of more outward behavior, for example when accompanied with overt head-or eye movements (so-called overt attention).…”

The Elicitation Interview Technique: Capturing People's Experiences of Data Representations

“…Non-inductive, because the researcher/interviewer does not suggest any content, but asks "content-empty" questions such as: "when you do this, what do you do exactly?". This type of questioning enables the researcher to obtain precise descriptions without imposing their own presuppositions [34]. However, the Elicitation Interview technique is directive, that is, throughout the interview the researcher firmly maintains the participant's attention on a singular experience, and guides the exploration of these characteristics down to the depth required [31].…”

Developing Synaesthesia

“…A potential risk in the collection of such first-person data of this kind is the unintentional retrospective transformation of events, as demonstrated by experimental false memory induction (e.g., Loftus and Pickrell, 1995) and false recollection (Greenberg, 2004). Petitmengin et al (2013) have recently demonstrated that the process of becoming aware of previously pre-reflective aspects of experience does not necessarily lead to confabulation. The specific language used by participants in reporting false memories will, however, allow a skilled interviewer to recognize infidelity in the report and exclude the relevant section from analysis (Froese et al, 2011a).…”

“…EI has previously been applied to increase awareness of epileptic prodrome features (Petitmengin et al, 2007), to understand the adaptation strategies of elderly drivers (Cahour et al, 2010), to provide introspective access to unconscious decision making processes (Petitmengin et al, 2013), and to develop and identify distinct "attentional states" before the onset of a cognitive task (Lutz et al, 2002) [see also Maurel (2009) for other applications and Froese et al (2011a) for a review of recent research using second-person methods]. A full and detailed method for the conduct of an EI has been presented elsewhere (e.g., Petitmengin, (1992).…”