Evaluative learning refers to the change in the affective evaluation of a previously neutral stimulus that occurs after the stimulus has been associated with a second, positive or negative, affective stimulus . Four experiments are reported in which the AS was presented very briefly. Significant evaluative learning was observed in participants who did not notice the presentation of the affective stimuli or could not discriminate between the briefly presented positive and negative ASi when asked to do so . In two (...) other experiments , no significant learning effect was obtained. A meta-analysis performed on the present and previously reported results gave evidence for a small, though statistically reliable evaluative learning effect when ASi are presented “subliminally.” This finding supports the hypothesis that evaluative associations can be learned implicitly. (shrink)

During the past decades, several theories have been proposed that relate quantum mechanics to information processing in the human mind. These theories predict that the arrow of time has no direction during unconscious processing states. Across 7 experiments, we tested whether masked negative stimuli presented in the future lead to an unconscious avoidance reaction in the present. Response registration took place about 500 milliseconds before stimulus onset. In the majority of the studies the predicted retroactive influence was found. On average, (...) participants were able to unconsciously avoid negative future outcomes . These results are in line with similar precognitive avoidance effects recently reported by Daryl Bem in 2011 . The reported findings are discussed with regard to the proposed quantum model of the mind. We also highlight the limitations of our research. (shrink)