topographical psychology

any system of mapping the mind by locating the various mental processes in different regions of the mind. Carl Jung, for example, divided the mind into the conscious ego, the personal unconscious, and the collective unconscious; Sigmund Freud divided the mind into the conscious, preconscious, and unconscious (see topographic model). Also called mental topography.

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Psychology term of the day

November 28th 2024

fatigue effect

a decline in performance on a prolonged or demanding research task that is generally attributed to the participant becoming tired or bored with the task. The fatigue effect is an important consideration when administering a lengthy survey or test in which participants’ performance may worsen simply due to the challenges of an extended task.