Mindlessly Motivated – a Critical Review of Subliminal Motivation
Affective Science June 30, 2026 Lena Lange, Axel Cleeremans
Abstract What is the role of consciousness in motivation? Can we be motivated by unconscious incentives, and pursue goals that we are not even aware of? In this article, we critically review extant empirical and theoretical works that support such claims and contrast them with an alternative, valence-centered account of motivation. In light of recent methodological advancements in the field of...