The role of unconscious sets formed on the basis of the perception of concrete visual stimuli and of illusory representations in conscious cognitive activity]

The cognitive set can be formed in healthy humans (75 subjects have been examined) on the basis of the Müller-Lyer's visual illusion. The effect of this set is expressed as a contrast illusion similar to the effect of the set, which is formed on the basis of the real size of visual stimuli (pictures of circles). Time of the simple motor reaction to the probe stimulus (light spot) depends on the factor of set stability. In subjects with the stable set the reaction time and its variability are substantially longer than in persons with the unstable set. Analysis of correctness of perception of the visual stimuli and the reaction time shows that the set which has been formed at the unconscious level leads to a certain rigidity in cognitive activity. Thus, factor of lability/stability of sets is an important feature of human cognitive activity.