APA Dictionary of Psychology
preconscious thinking
- the pictorial, magical, fantasy thinking of children that precedes the development of logical thinking. [introduced in 1938 by Austrian psychoanalyst Otto Fenichel (1897–1946)]
- in psychoanalytic theory, thinking that takes place at the level of the preconscious. Preconscious thinking has sometimes been cited to explain apparently unconscious, intuitive thought processes, as well as certain kinds of creative leaps and insights.
Updated on 04/19/2018
ADVERTISEMENT
Word of the Day
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT