unconscious-cue-perception
The ability to detect minimal, involuntary bodily movements or signals, as demonstrated by Clever Hans responding to his handler's unconscious cues.
1 chapter across 1 book
How Real Is Real? (1976)Paul Watzlawick
The chapter examines the beneficial role of confusion in enhancing attention and creative thinking, exemplified by Milton Erickson's therapeutic Confusion Technique. It critically revisits the Clever Hans case to reveal how animals and humans respond to unconscious, subtle cues, highlighting the pervasive influence of involuntary signaling and experimenter bias in both animal cognition research and human interactions. The chapter further explores nonverbal communication channels such as pupil size variations and minimal sensory clues, demonstrating how these unconscious perceptions shape behavior, influence attraction, and can create illusions like extrasensory perception.