New research distinguishes roles of conscious and sub-conscious awareness in information processing

From the 30 November 2011 Eureka News Alert

What distinguishes information processing with conscious awareness from processing occurring without awareness? And, is there any role for conscious awareness in information processing, or is it just a byproduct, like the steam from the chimney of a train engine, which is significant, but has no functional role?

These questions — which have long puzzled psychologists, philosophers, and neurobiologists — were recently addressed in a study by Hebrew University of Jerusalem researchers and published by the journal Psychological Science.