Unconscious refers to all psychic contents or processes that are not conscious.
The term "unconscious" in psychology refers to mental processes that exist outside of conscious awareness. The unconscious mind is thought to contain thoughts, feelings, desires, and memories that are not currently being experienced in a person's conscious awareness, but which can still influence thoughts, emotions, and behavior.
Examples of unconscious mental processes in psychology include:
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Implicit biases - Prejudices and stereotypes that a person holds unconsciously and which can influence their thoughts, feelings, and behavior, even if they do not hold these views consciously.
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Repressed memories - Memories that are stored in the unconscious mind and are not easily accessible to conscious awareness, but which can still impact a person's thoughts and behavior.
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Unconscious defense mechanisms - Mental processes that operate unconsciously to protect a person from unpleasant thoughts, feelings, or memories, such as denial, repression, and projection.
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Unconscious thought processes - Thoughts and decision-making processes that occur without conscious awareness, such as when a person solves a complex problem without being fully aware of how they arrived at the solution.
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Unconscious motivation - Drives and desires that are not consciously experienced but which influence behavior, such as the unconscious desire for approval or the unconscious fear of failure.
The study of the unconscious mind has been a central area of investigation in psychology, with various theories, such as psychoanalysis and behaviorism, offering different perspectives on its nature and role in human behavior.