Abstract

This study investigated the effect of unconscious processing on creative problem solving (CPS) by combining a revised priming paradigm that manipulated the content of unconscious processing together with remote association tests (RAT). In the real world, most CPS is facilitated by unconscious information processing after a problem is represented. However, most previous studies have focused on priming subthreshold stimuli before the problem presentation, with few exploring unconscious priming after the problem is presented, even though different prime timings might involve distinct processing mechanisms. Therefore, Experiment 1 compared the unconscious priming effects of presenting the prime prior to the target (Before-T) versus during target solving (During-T). The RAT difficulty and type of priming material were also manipulated. The results of Experiment 1 revealed a significant difference in the priming effects of prime timing with the During-T group benefiting more from subliminal stimuli than the Before-T group. Experiment 2 further strengthened the justifications for the hypotheses regarding the influence of word versus picture priming in the during-T condition. Overall, this study found a clear dissociable contribution of unconscious processing to CPS, and the facilitation effect was optimised by prime timing, the prime material, and RAT difficulty.