Definition
Unconscious personality processes are a subset of unconscious processes that occur in human information processing in the areas of affect, attitudes, cognition, memory, and skilled motor sequences. While all these processes affect personality development, it is the relational unconscious comprising unconscious affects, cognitions, and memories that encodes the nature and quality of our early relationships that most directly affects our adult personality, adjustment, and relationships.
Introduction: The Concept of the Unconscious
The concept of the unconscious is a cornerstone of the psychoanalytic edifice, yet Freud experienced great resistance to the acceptance of the role of the unconscious in human behavior because it challenged the cherished notion of free will. Freud stated:
…human megalomania will have suffered [a]…wounding blow from...
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Kenny, D.T. (2019). Unconscious Personality 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_1852-1
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