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Psychodynamic Processes

Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences
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Synonyms

Conscious and unconscious processes

Definition

Psychodynamic theory is based on the idea that conscious and unconscious psychological processes exert dynamic effects on individuals’ behavior, feelings, and thoughts. These dynamics can be differentiated between primary and secondary processes, of which the former relates to unconscious mental activity and the latter is associated with conscious thought (Rycroft 1995).

Introduction

First mentioned in the Project for a Scientific Psychology (1895) and subsequently reintroduced in The Interpretation of Dreams (1900), Freud proposed that human psychological functioning consists of three levels of consciousness: the “Conscious” (Cs.), “Preconscious” (Pcs.), and “Unconscious” (Ucs.) systems. The conscious level relates to our immediate awareness, thoughts, and sense impressions of reality. The preconscious level relates to unconscious but not repressed information, including memories, knowledge, and sense impressions, which are...

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Correspondence to Laura Cariola .

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Cariola, L. (2017). Psychodynamic Processes. In: Zeigler-Hill, V., Shackelford, T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_1416-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_1416-2

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Psychodynamic Processes
    Published:
    05 May 2017

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_1416-2

  2. Original

    Psychodynamic Processes
    Published:
    08 April 2017

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_1416-1