John Bargh, a professor of psychology at Yale University, presented his nationally-acclaimed research, titled “The Automaticity of Everyday Life,” this past Friday in the Energy, Coast and Environment Building.
The LSU Collegium for Science and Religion held its fall conference Nov. 3 and 4, featuring Bargh as the keynote speaker. The conference was co-sponsored by the psychology department.
Bargh said his research focuses on consciousness, automatic processes and the concept of free will.
He said he became interested in psychology after B. F. Skinner published the book “Beyond Freedom and Dignity,” which claimed that humans have “no mind…no free will.”
“I was fascinated that someone could say that we don’t have free will,” Bargh said. “It bothered me a lot.”
In his research, Bargh said our decisions are constantly being influenced by our perceived environment.
In one of his studies, he took two groups of students and put one group in room with a briefcase and the other in a room with a book sack. Based on the results, he said the students in the room with the briefcase competed harder in the exercises than the group in the room with the book sack. Bargh said people perceive briefcases as stereotypical of hard work.
“What you will find is if you prime the stereotypes on someone, you can get them to act that way,” Bargh said.
He said like birds, humans also tend to flock together.
Sara Pierce, associate professor of child development and collegium steering committee member, said the group tried to get Bargh to come last year.
“His research has profound implications for free will,” Pierce said. “I thought it would be a perfect topic for the conference.”
Esmeralda Ortiz-Santos, psychology senior, said she was fascinated with Bargh’s research.
“I think it’s really educational for us for everyday life to be conscious of what we are doing,” Ortiz-Santos said. “He explains these situations where we don’t have free will.”
The conference continued Saturday with more presentations including five members of the University community.
Bargh made one thing clear at the end of his presentation to ease members in the audience.
“Don’t worry about subliminal messages in advertising,” he said. “Real advertising works well enough.”
—–Contact Nathan Trifone at ntrifone@lsureveille.com
Yale professor speaks on free will concept
November 6, 2006

Tommy Watkins, Ph.D student in cognitive psychology, takes notes Friday night in the Rotunda Auditorium in the Energy, Coast and Environment Building. The presentation was made by John Bargh, a Professor of Psychology at Yale who spoke about how cognitive processes weigh an enormous amount in the development of free will.