Unconscious Prioritization for Reward Objects

Experiment 4 demonstrated that the breakthrough difference between high- and low-reward objects could not be attributed to low-level factors. Experiments 5-8 further elucidated the potential mechanism underlying the unconscious reward advantage by dissociating rewarding properties from monetary value. Specifically, Experiments 5 and 6 showed that high-value non-reward object did not exhibit unconscious processing advantage, whereas Experiments 7 and 8 demonstrated that low-value reward object broke through suppression more rapidly than high-value non-reward object.

These findings suggest that reward properties, rather than monetary value per se, constitute the critical determinant of this effect. Together, these results refine our understanding of the consciousness boundaries and highlight incentive salience as a key mechanism through which reward modulates unconscious visual processing.