PRECOGNITIVE DEFENSIVE ORGANIZATION WITH THREATENING AND NON-THREATENING PERIPHERAL STIMULI

K ragh , U. Precognitive defensive organization with threatening and non-threatening peripheral stimuli. Scand. J. Psychol ., 1962, 3 , 65–68.—The question is raised whether 'precognitive defensive organization' in the tachisto-scopic exposure of pictures with a centrally placed 'hero' and a 'threatening' peripheral face is due to the diffuse character (ambiguity) of stimulus, or rather to subliminal threat. Two pictures were shown under essentially identical conditions. In one case, the face was ugly and 'threatening', in the other case it was the same face but slightly modified, and 'smiling'. The results suggest that subliminal threat is important for the activation of defensive reactions, but they do not contradict the assumption that diffusity of stimulus alone may also be effective.