The notion that humans often take actions and pursue goals due to subconscious desires and instincts dates back to Sigmund Freud, who suggested, among other things, that repressed sexual urges underlay some human behavior. Freud’s theories were later judged unreliable and largely nonfalsifiable. In any event, until recently it was assumed that conscious decisions are essential for the mental processes involved in setting and pursuing a goal. Indeed, goal pursuit has been considered nearly synonymous with conscious thought.
But a number of recent studies suggest otherwise. In one of the first studies of this sort, some U.S. students were seated
Continue reading Latest research indicates we unconsciously pursue goals