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Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences pp 1–5Cite as

Unconscious Personality Processes

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Synonyms

Implicit attitudes; Implicit cognition; Implicit knowledge; Tacit knowledge; Unconscious affect, cognition, memory, perception

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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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Dianna T. Kenny

Authors
  1. Dianna T. Kenny
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Correspondence to Dianna T. Kenny .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Oakland University, Rochester, USA

    Virgil Zeigler-Hill

  2. Oakland University, Rochester, USA

    Todd K. Shackelford

Section Editor information

  1. Division of Social Sciences, New College of Florida, Sarasota, FL, USA

    Catherine Cottrell

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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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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_1852-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-28099-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-28099-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Behavioral Science and PsychologyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

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