Methods note: we used Bayesian optimization to titrate exposure and eccentricity to maximize the chance to dissociate perception from awareness. We also analyze spatial anisotropies and provide extensive convergent tests of the effect.

8/ To formalize the effect, we build Bayesian ideal-observer models to test whether the detection shortfall could be mere decision-making inefficiency. We find awareness is systematically more suboptimal than ensmeble discrimination beyond expected by task-difficulty differences

7/However, 2-IFC task introduces an assymetry in the amount of the information that the perceptual and awareness test have to consider. In Exp.2. we use a single interval paradigm where both tasks are matched in the amount of information and we replicated all findings from Exp.1.

6/ In Exp.1. we find a clear dissociation between ensemble percetion and awareness. We demonstrate that this effect was not influenced by task-order, target interval order or an unstable detection criterion. We provide convergent analyses proving the robustness of the effect.

5/We tackle both issues with ensemble perception in a 2-IFC paradigm. Ensemble summaries test unconscious perception in richer, natural displays and boost unconscious sensitivity via the brain’s statistical pooling without using masking other signal degradation techniques.

2/ Interest in unconscious perception surged through the 2023, then cooled. One reason: despite many attempts, robust evidence remains elusive once controlling for response-criterion issues—both the subjective criterion and the criterion-content fallacy.