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Conscious Versus Unconscious Determinants of Behavior

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Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences

Synonyms

Automatic; Controlled; Postconscious; Preconscious; System 1; System 2

Definition

Conscious vs. unconscious determinants of behavior can be defined as two distinct but overlapping systems of learning and memory that explain and predict human decision-making, thoughts, and behaviors.

Introduction

To what degree are individuals aware of the information that they are processing at any given moment? If individuals are unaware of these processes, then are they able to control their behaviors? Research suggests that both conscious and unconscious processes exert influences on behaviors. This entry will provide a brief overview of unconscious and conscious processes including the connections these processes have with an array of outcomes.

Conscious vs. Unconscious Mind

The notion of unconscious mental processes was popularized by Freud (1901/1960) in order to account for the possibility that repressed emotions might influence daily thoughts and behaviors (see Evans 2008, for an...

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Correspondence to Jennifer K. Vrabel .

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Vrabel, J.K., Zeigler-Hill, V. (2020). Conscious Versus Unconscious Determinants of Behavior. In: Zeigler-Hill, V., Shackelford, T.K. (eds) Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24612-3_1124

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