non-conscious
non-conscious — adjective
1. Describes thoughts, feelings, or mental processes that happen in a person's mind
Describes thoughts, feelings, or mental processes that happen in a person's mind without that person actively noticing or directing them — for example, hidden biases that affect a decision even when the person believes they are being rational.
Jiwoo's non-conscious assumptions about gender roles influenced how she spoke to her colleagues.
non-conscious + noun (assumptions); attributive use
The study showed that non-conscious biases affect hiring decisions in managers who believe they are fair.
non-conscious biases — common collocation in psychology
Rodrigo had a non-conscious feeling that something was wrong, though he could not explain why.
Many social behaviours are guided by non-conscious rules that people follow without thinking about them.
- subconscious
More common in everyday language; 'subconscious' often suggests a hidden layer of the mind, while 'non-conscious' is more neutral and descriptive in academic contexts.
- unconscious
Broader in meaning; 'unconscious' can also refer to being knocked out or asleep, so 'non-conscious' is preferred when the focus is purely on lack of awareness of mental content.
- implicit
Often used to describe attitudes or memories that are not openly expressed; overlaps with 'non-conscious' in psychology literature but has a wider use outside the field.
- conscious
Describes thoughts or actions that a person is actively aware of and directing.
- deliberate
Emphasises intentional, planned mental activity, the opposite of automatic non-conscious processing.
文法句型
non-conscious + noun (thoughts, biases, processes, beliefs, assumptions)
用法筆記
Attributive use (before a noun) is the most common pattern. Unlike 'unconscious', which can describe a person who has fainted or is asleep, 'non-conscious' refers specifically to mental content that the person is not currently aware of.