This paper examines how unconscious mental contexts influence discourse comprehension through a reflexive analysis of reading a passage about an imprisoned character. The author documents initial assumptions triggered by the opening sentence—particularly assumptions about the protagonist's gender and confinement status—and relates these observations to cognitive psychology principles including mental representation, stream of consciousness, and the analytic method of cognition. The paper then situates these findings within broader contexts of cultural values and the unconscious mind, concluding with implications for clinical practice: psychotherapists must recognize that their own unconscious assumptions and attentional biases shape clinical perception and diagnosis, and should actively work to offset these biases to deliver objective, patient-centered care.
The methodology employed for this assignment was straightforward. After reading an initial description of a paragraph titled "The effect of unconscious mental contexts on discourse comprehension," I underlined the last two words and the phrase "unconscious mental contexts." I then read through the paragraph, and immediately afterward, I noted my initial impressions, which totaled approximately ten words. Finally, I reviewed the series of short questions that followed the paragraph.
I found this paragraph to be highly ambiguous. While reading, I repeatedly noticed that certain information in the paragraph seemed incongruent. As I noted immediately afterward, I largely interpreted the paragraph to be about a man imprisoned. However, the text contained elements of both formal and informal incarceration that appeared conflicting and confusing.
For instance, the word "charge" suggests that the prisoner had been formally charged with a crime. However, the fact that he was imprisoned in a location with merely a "lock," rather than a formal cell with bars, seems incongruent with this assumption. I also noted that the prisoner appeared to be arbitrarily imprisoned, which relates to the statement that the "charge against him had been weak." Additionally, the detail that in the first sentence the prisoner is described as getting up from a "mat" seemed incompatible with the idea of a formal jail cell and further confused my interpretation.
It is crucial to note that in my reactions and findings, I made numerous unconscious "assumptions" (Baars, 1997, p. 115) that reflect important cognitive principles of psychology. Moreover, many of these assumptions specifically stem from the initial sentence in the paragraph. The fact that Rocky was described as "planning his escape" immediately led me to assume that he was imprisoned, especially once the author referenced his "charge." This assumption is akin to a mental representation, which is useful to "guide cognitive processing and behavior" (Galotti, 2007, p. 268). Additionally, I quickly assumed that Rocky was male—based on his name and the male pronoun "his" used in the first sentence. These assumptions were later corroborated by additional information in the paragraph, yet they largely originated with the first sentence.
The relationship of one thought to another, and how those thoughts lead to innate assumptions and inferences, is one of the most important principles of cognition as related to stream of consciousness. In fact, the term stream of consciousness refers to the fact that "states of mind succeed each other," and that "personal consciousness is sensibly continuous" (James, 1892, p. 152). There is a definite parallel between streams of consciousness and this experiment, since reading is one of the most tangible manifestations of streams of consciousness—the reader becomes aware of the facts presented in the manuscript as they unfold. The truly relevant facet, however, is that consciousness must originate somewhere. Where it originates, and whether or not a person's perceptions of such consciousness are accurate, is largely undetermined—yet it plays a pivotal role in influencing consciousness. Thus, my initial reading of the first sentence significantly influenced my interpretation of the passage. Someone else who had a pet dog named Rocky, for instance, might have interpreted the first sentence and ensuing paragraph as one about a canine. Such a stream of consciousness may possibly induce emotions related to memories; the effects of those emotions can be either healthy or unhealthy and positively or negatively impact one's intelligence (Greenberg, 2002, p. 137).
Several points in the readings relate to my unconscious tendency to make assumptions. My assumptions can be explained by two different methodologies: the synthetic and the analytic method (James, 1892, p. 151). The former takes an aggregate approach toward the cognitive process, stemming from simple sensations and resulting in influence on more complicated mental states. The latter, which appears more applicable to this experiment, is based on an individual's own learning and knowledge and compiles additional information and assumptions from there. As a result, the individual's experience and internal knowledge form the foundation for additional knowledge (James, 1892, p. 151).
It is thus clear that aspects of unconscious mental contexts can substantially color one's perception and consciousness. There has traditionally been considerable debate about whether elements of the unconscious mind induce a trance-like hypnotic state, or merely influence present, waking consciousness (Kirsch and Lynn, 1995, p. 848). In fact, this aspect of behavior is considered in the recently emergent, continuously evolving field of behavioral science, which at its basic level is a study of how organisms behave and interact and, to a lesser degree, think. There is also evidence that unconscious mental processes and assumptions may have sociological foundations in respective cultures. For instance, in America there are cultural values in which "individuals seek to maintain their independence from others by attending to the self and by discovering and expressing their unique inner attributes" (Markus and Kitayama, 1991, p. 224). Subconsciously or unconsciously, then, what I read in my experiment was inherently affected by the American cultural tendency to value one's self and one's own opinion before others. Various cultures have different regards for the self, not all of which are expressly as independent as those in America. Regardless, research demonstrates that "views of the self... can have a systematic influence on various aspects of cognition" (Markus and Kitayama, 1991, p. 225), which partially explains why my assumptions and internalizations regarding information presented in my experiment influenced my perception of it.
There are several implications of these findings for clinicians and their relationships with their clients. Clinicians must be cognizant of the fact that their impressions and perceptions stem from unconscious assumptions and behavioral processes which may not necessarily be true. These impressions may originate from memory—either personal experience or their "general knowledge base" (Galotti, 2007, p. 2). Furthermore, these assumptions can produce a powerful effect on diagnoses and ensuing treatment. Clinicians should therefore attempt to temper the basic behavioral science of human nature regarding cognition when discerning facets about their clients. The responsibility that clinicians have in this area of applied science is underscored by the fact that "Society relies on sciences...to enhance human culture and the human condition itself" (Vilardaga et al., 2009, p. 4).
"Clinical practice and clinician awareness of bias"
Objectivity, and not subjectivity, is a desired aim of psychotherapy. Psychologists must be aware that it is a basic part of human nature to make fundamental assumptions that influence perception and can dictate the way they view information, which may result in "attentional bias" (Mineka and Sutton, 1992, p. 66)—especially that related to patients and their care. Unconscious mental contexts should therefore be accounted for and ideally offset to deliver objective, unbiased therapy.
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