Which of the following statements about automatic processing and effortful processing is true?

• A. Automatic processing occurs without conscious awareness and typically does not require significant mental effort.
• B. Effortful processing is always more accurate than automatic processing.
• C. Effortful processing happens without attention and is usually fast and involuntary.
• D. Automatic processing requires focused attention and deliberate effort to encode information.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the definitions of automatic processing and effortful processing. Automatic processing refers to the encoding of information without conscious awareness or deliberate effort, often occurring quickly and involuntarily.
2. Step 2: Recognize that effortful processing requires conscious attention and mental effort to encode information, typically involving deliberate focus and slower, more controlled processing.
3. Step 3: Evaluate each statement by comparing it to these definitions. For example, check if automatic processing is described as occurring without conscious awareness and effort, and if effortful processing is linked to attention and mental effort.
4. Step 4: Identify that the statement 'Automatic processing occurs without conscious awareness and typically does not require significant mental effort' aligns correctly with the definition of automatic processing.
5. Step 5: Note that other statements incorrectly describe effortful processing as always more accurate, or automatic processing as requiring focused attention, which contradicts the established definitions.