The human psyche refers to the totality of an individual's mind - including conscious thoughts, unconscious desires, emotions, memories - which shape their behavior and personality.
The human psyche can be likened to an iceberg. Just as only a small portion of an iceberg is visible above water while most of it remains hidden beneath the surface, our conscious thoughts and actions are only a small part of our psyche, with the majority being unconscious processes that influence us.
Id, Ego, Superego: Freudian terms representing different aspects of the human psyche. The id represents primal desires, the ego mediates between desires and reality, and the superego represents societal norms and values.
Subconscious: The part of the mind that contains thoughts, memories, and desires that are not currently in conscious awareness but can still influence behavior.
Defense Mechanisms: Psychological strategies used by individuals to protect themselves from anxiety or distress by distorting reality or redirecting their thoughts.
Study guides for the entire semester
200k practice questions
Glossary of 50k key terms - memorize important vocab
© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.
AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.