The DOI matches its Crossref record; 148 of the 151 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
The unbearable automaticity of being
Abstract
What was noted by E. J. hanger (1978) remains true today: that much of contemporary psychological research is based on the assumption that people are consciously and systematically processing incoming information in order to construe and interpret their world and to plan and engage in courses of action. As did E. J. hanger, the authors question this assumption. First, they review evidence that the ability to exercise such conscious, intentional control is actually quite limited, so that most of moment-to-moment psychological life must occur through nonconscious means if it is to occur at all. The authors then describe the different possible mechanisms that produce automatic, environmental control over these various phenomena and review evidence establishing both the existence of these mechanisms as well as their consequences for judgments, emotions, and
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“In fact much psychological research (Bargh and Chartrand, 1999; Chaiken and Trope, 1999; Cohen, 2014) demonstrates that even apparently rational thought processes are strongly influenced by emotional states.”
From Somatic experiencing: using interoception and proprioception as core elements of trauma therapy (2015) · cites this paper as Bargh and Chartrand, 1999
In the citing paper
“Coupled with the huge body of evidence suggesting that cortical (cognitive) functions are not intrinsically conscious (see Bargh and Chartrand, 1999, for review)”
From The Hard Problem of Consciousness and the Free Energy Principle (2019) · cites this paper as Bargh and Chartrand, 1999
In the citing paper
“The finding that people are often unaware of key behavioural motivations and triggers has been demonstrated previously in experimental studies”
From A systematic review of the factors associated with delays in medical and psychological help-seeking among men (2015) · cites this paper as Bargh & Chartrand, 1999
Citations
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Nonconscious consumer psychology.
Chartrand, T. L., & Fitzsimons, G. J. (2011) · Journal of Consumer Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jcps.2010.12.001 · Cited by 54
“We define it as a subset of automatic processing (Bargh & Chartrand, 1999).”
MethodSelf-citationPolicy Implications of Implicit Social Cognition
Nosek, B. A., & Riskind, R. G. (2012) · Social Issues and Policy Review · doi:10.1111/j.1751-2409.2011.01037.x · Cited by 55
“Implicit social cognition research includes experimental investigation of the conditions or factors that contribute to behavior, such as priming concepts, affective reactions, or goal-states (Anderson et al., 2007; Bargh & Chartrand, 1999; Bargh & Ferguson, 2000).”
BackgroundInfluentialEnhanced Expectancies Improve Performance Under Pressure
McKay, B., Lewthwaite, R., & Wulf, G. (2012) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00008 · Cited by 42
“Social comparison information can be provided explicitly as in the present experiment or implicitly (Bargh and Chartrand, 1999), and is often present naturally within sport and movement settings.”
BackgroundThe Impact of Automatically Activated Motivation on Exercise-Related Outcomes
Banting, L. K., Dimmock, J. A., & Grove, J. R. (2011) · Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology · doi:10.1123/jsep.33.4.569 · Cited by 41
Tumwebaze, I. K., Niwagaba, C. B., Günther, I., & Mosler, H.-J. (2014) · Habitat International · doi:10.1016/j.habitatint.2013.07.008 · Cited by 37
Know Your Preferences: Self-Regulation as Need-Congruent Goal Selection
Grund, A., Fries, S., & Rheinberg, F. (2018) · Review of General Psychology · doi:10.1037/gpr0000159 · Cited by 34
“Finally, it should be noted that some researchers also highlight more implicit, automatic processes of self-regulation that challenge to notion of self-regulation as deliberate, willful action, by definition (e.g., Bargh & Chartrand, 1999).”
BackgroundFor which side the bell tolls: the laterality of approach-avoidance associative networks
Fetterman, A. K., Ode, S., & Robinson, M. D. (2013) · Motivation and Emotion · doi:10.1007/s11031-012-9306-5 · Cited by 33
“Accessible thoughts are thought to guide subsequent behavior and decision making (Bargh and Chartrand 1999).”
Can colored sidewalk nudge city tourists to walk? An experimental study of the effect of nudges
Chen, J., Lehto, X., Lehto, M., & Day, J. (2023) · Tourism Management · doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2022.104683 · Cited by 31
The Emotional Dog and Its Rational Tail: A Social Intuitionist Approach to Moral Judgment
Haidt, J. (2008) · Reasoning · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511814273.055 · Cited by 27
Legault, L., & Amiot, C. E. (2014) · Human Motivation and Interpersonal Relationships · doi:10.1007/978-94-017-8542-6_8 · Cited by 26
Involuntariness in Hypnotic Responding and Dissociative Symptoms
Dell, P. F. (2010) · Journal of Trauma & Dissociation · doi:10.1080/15299730903317964 · Cited by 23
“…everyday behavior . . . (Kirsch & Lynn, 1999, p. 508) Although there is much to be said for a deterministic psychology of human behavior (e.g., Bargh & Chartrand, 1999; Bargh & Ferguson, 2000; Bargh & Morsella, 2008; Kirsch & Lynn, 1999; Wegner, 2003; Wegner & Wheatley, 1999), there is also…”
BackgroundInfluentialLlewellyn, S. (2016) · Consciousness and Cognition · doi:10.1016/j.concog.2016.09.018 · Cited by 17
“Higher-level unconscious processes, for example, goal pursuit, are consequent upon prior conscious thought (Bargh & Chartrand, 1999; Bargh & Ferguson, 2000; Bargh, Schwader, Hailey, Dyer, & Boothby, 2012).”
“Letting Go” (Implicitly): Priming Mindfulness Mitigates the Effects of a Moderate Social Stressor
Bergeron, C. M., Almgren-Doré, I., & Dandeneau, S. (2016) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00872 · Cited by 11
“Based on Williams et al.’s (2009) findings, we propose that people’s innate capacity for mindfulness may be activated via unconscious and automatic processes (e.g., Bargh and Chartrand, 1999; Dijksterhuis and Nordgren, 2006) and show positive stressmitigating effects.”
BackgroundAre you ready for the challenge? Social media health challenges for behaviour change
Saboia, I., Almeida, A. M. P., Sousa, P., & Pernencar, C. (2020) · Perspectives on Behavior Science · doi:10.1007/s40614-020-00261-z · Cited by 13
The presence of consciousness in absence seizures
Bayne, T. (2011) · Behavioural Neurology · doi:10.1155/2011/128567 · Cited by 15
The inhibition of automatic imitation: a meta-analysis and synthesis of fMRI studies
Darda, K. M., & Ramsey, R. (2018) · bioRxiv · doi:10.1101/334938 · Cited by 43
“In the last two decades, automatic imitation has been widely studied with an attempt to interconnect different disciplines like cognitive science, social psychology, evolutionary biology, and cognitive neuroscience (Prinz and Meltzoff, 2002; Bargh and Chartrand, 1999; Byrne and Russon, 1998).”
The structure of mind and the role of consciousness.
Earl, B. (2019) · JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY & BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE · doi:10.15640/jpbs.v7n2a9 · Cited by 5
“…in decision-making, moral judgments, close relationships, emotional processes, face perception, social judgment, motivation and goal pursuit, conformity, and behavioural contagion (reviewed, for example, in Bargh, 1992, Bargh & Chartrand, 1999; Bargh & Ferguson, 2000; Bargh, et al, 2012).”
BackgroundHarper, L., Tomaras, C. A., Powell, R. A., Reddon, J. R., & Hawrelak, E. (2025) · American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine® · doi:10.1177/10499091241247835 · Cited by 3
“Researchers have argued for the automaticity of stereotypes that occur outside of one ’ s conscious awareness, 48,49 and it may be that these stereotypes have little effect on participants ’ subjective ratings of stigmatizing attitudes toward MAiD-MI.”
Levy, N. (2021) · Bad Beliefs · doi:10.1093/oso/9780192895325.003.0005 · Cited by 2
Talking the talk, not walking the walk: The coevolution of overconfidence and loss aversion
Dawson, C., & de Meza, D. (2026) · Psychological Review · doi:10.1037/rev0000644 · Cited by 2
Schore, A. N. (2001) · Infant Mental Health Journal · doi:10.1002/1097-0355(200101/04)22:1
(2007) · Cited by 350
Value priorities and subjective well-being: Direct relations and congruity effects
Sagiv, L., & Schwartz, S. H. (2000) · European Journal of Social Psychology · doi:10.1002/(sici)1099-0992(200003/04)30:2
(2004) · Cited by 85
Metadata
- Authors
- Bargh, J. A., & Chartrand, T. L.
- Affiliations
- New York University (US)
- Venue
- American Psychologist
- Published
- 1999-07
- Volume
- 54
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 462-479
- ISSN
- 0003-066X (ISSN-L)
- 1935-990X
- OpenAlex
- W2130142026
- Cited by
- 3,699
- References
- 151
- Citations by year
- 2026: 78 · 2025: 82 · 2024: 62 · 2023: 77 · 2022: 140 · 2021: 112 · 2020: 146 · 2019: 185 · 2018: 122 · 2017: 140 · 2016: 156 · 2015: 184 · 2014: 217 · 2013: 207 · 2012: 188
- FWCI
- 36.59
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- American Psychologist (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Behavioral Health and Interventions
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › General Decision Sciences › Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics
- Keywords
- automaticity, unconscious processes, conscious control, environmental control, automatic processes, judgment, emotions, intentional control, information processing
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