Automatic effects of instructions do not require the intention to execute these instructions. Issue 1 (2nd January 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Liefooghe, Baptist; De Houwer, Jan
• Is Part Of: Journal of cognitive psychology. Volume 30:Issue 1(2018)
• Page Start: 108
• Page End: 121
• Publication Date: 2018-01-02
• Subjects: Cognitive control -- learning via instructions -- intention-based reflexivity -- instruction-based congruency effect; Cognitive psychology -- Periodicals; 153.05
• DOI: 10.1080/20445911.2017.1365871
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2044-5911

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Prior research established that newly instructed stimulus-response mappings, which have never been executed overtly before, can lead to automatic response-congruency effects. Such instruction-based congruency effects have been taken as evidence for the hypothesis that the intention to execute stimulus-response mappings results into functional associations that serve future execution. The present study challenges this hypothesis by demonstrating in a series of four experiments that maintaining instructed stimulus-response mappings for future recognition, rather than for future execution, can also lead to an instruction-based congruency effect. These findings indicate that the instruction-based congruency effect emerges even when it is very unlikely that participants form the intention to execute instructions. Alternative interpretations of the instruction-based congruency effect are discussed.