Automatic vs Controlled Processing

Cognition splits into two modes by how much effort and conscious control they demand.

• Controlled processing: effortful, conscious, limited; you’re deliberately steering
• Automatic processing: fast, less conscious, low effort; happens whether you want it to or not

Example

Reading is the classic automatic process for literate adults: once you know how, you can’t look at a word and not read it. The Stroop Effect exploits this.