Glossary / Lexicon

Deutsch: Prozess / Español: proceso / Português: processo / Français: processus / Italiano: processo

Process in the psychology context refers to a series of actions, changes, or functions that occur over time, leading to a particular psychological outcome or state. It involves the dynamic sequences of thoughts, emotions, behaviors, or physiological responses that contribute to an individual's mental functioning and development. Process is a central concept in various psychological theories, as it helps explain how mental states evolve, how learning occurs, and how behaviors are formed and modified.

Description

In psychology, the term process is used to describe the continuous and often complex sequences of events that occur in the mind and body, leading to specific psychological outcomes. These processes are fundamental to understanding how people think, feel, and behave. Processes can be conscious, such as decision-making or problem-solving, or they can be unconscious, such as the automatic regulation of emotions or the formation of habits.

Several types of processes are commonly studied in psychology:

• Cognitive Processes: These include mental activities such as perception, memory, reasoning, and decision-making. Cognitive processes are central to understanding how people acquire knowledge, solve problems, and make decisions.
• Emotional Processes: These involve the way emotions are generated, experienced, and regulated. Emotional processes are crucial for understanding how individuals cope with stress, form relationships, and maintain mental health.
• Behavioral Processes: These refer to the patterns of actions or behaviors that develop over time, influenced by learning, reinforcement, and social interactions. Behavioral processes are key in understanding habits, addiction, and behavior modification.
• Developmental Processes: These are the changes and growth that occur across the lifespan, from infancy to old age. Developmental processes encompass physical, cognitive, and social changes that shape an individual's life trajectory.
• Social Processes: These involve the interactions between individuals and groups, including communication, cooperation, competition, and social influence. Social processes are vital for understanding group dynamics, social identity, and cultural influences on behavior.

Processes in psychology are often interconnected, meaning that changes in one process can influence others. For example, a change in emotional regulation might affect cognitive processes like decision-making, or a shift in social context could alter behavioral patterns. Understanding these processes helps psychologists develop interventions to improve mental health, enhance learning, and promote positive behavior change.

Application Areas

The concept of process is applied across various psychological disciplines:

1. Cognitive Psychology: Studies cognitive processes such as perception, memory, and problem-solving to understand how people think and learn.

2. Developmental Psychology: Focuses on developmental processes throughout the lifespan, exploring how individuals grow and change physically, cognitively, and socially.

3. Clinical Psychology: Examines psychological processes involved in mental health disorders, such as anxiety or depression, to develop effective treatments.

4. Behavioral Psychology: Analyzes behavioral processes, including how behaviors are learned and maintained, to inform behavior modification techniques.

5. Social Psychology: Investigates social processes, such as group behavior and social influence, to understand how individuals are affected by their social environment.

Well-Known Examples

Notable examples of processes in psychology include:

• The Cognitive Process of Memory: Memory involves encoding, storage, and retrieval processes, each of which is critical for retaining and recalling information.
• The Emotional Regulation Process: This process involves strategies individuals use to manage and respond to their emotional experiences, influencing mental health and social relationships.
• The Learning Process: According to behaviorism, learning is a process involving conditioning and reinforcement, which leads to the formation of new behaviors.
• Piaget's Developmental Stages: Jean Piaget described cognitive development as a process that occurs through distinct stages, each characterized by different cognitive abilities.

Treatment and Risks

Understanding psychological processes is crucial for effective treatment in various mental health settings. For instance, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) focuses on altering maladaptive cognitive processes to improve emotional and behavioral outcomes. Similarly, addressing dysfunctional emotional regulation processes can help manage disorders like anxiety or depression.

However, if psychological processes are disrupted or maladaptive, they can lead to mental health issues. For example, negative cognitive processes, such as rumination, can contribute to depression, while maladaptive behavioral processes, like avoidance, can reinforce anxiety. Identifying and modifying these processes is a key focus in therapeutic interventions.

Similar Terms

• Mechanism: Often used interchangeably with process, but typically refers to the specific underlying structures or functions that drive a process.
• Dynamics: Refers to the forces or properties that stimulate growth, change, or progression within a process.
• Function: The role or activity that a process fulfills within a larger system.

Articles with 'Process' in the title

• Active processing: Active processing refers to a collection of activities that includes relating new information to information we have in permanent memory, asking questions of the material, and writing summaries or outlines of the material
• Anaerobic process: Anaerobic process refers to the process that does not require oxygen at the time. In the psychology context, the term "anaerobic process" refers to a type of energy metabolism that occurs in the absence of oxygen
• Automatic processing: Automatic processing refers to thinking that is nonconscious, unintentional, involuntary, and effortless. Automatic processing is what Psychologists call processing of information that guides behavior, but without conscious awareness, and . . .
• Biobehavioral information processing model: Biobehavioral information processing model : Biobehavioral information processing model refers to a psychological theoretical model that attributes all human thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to natural biological causes, and features a . . .
• Central auditory processing disorder: Central auditory processing disorder (CAPD) refers to a physical impairment inhibiting the ability to distinguish foreground and background noise..
• Central auditory processing disorder (CAPD): Central auditory processing disorder (CAPD): Central auditory processing disorder (CAPD) : Central auditory Processing disorder (CAPD) refers to a physical impairment inhibiting the ability to distinguish foreground and b ackground noise
• Collective information processing model: Collective information processing model refers to a general theoretical explanation of group decision making assuming that groups use communication and discussion among members to gather and process the information needed to formulate . . .
• Differentiation process: Differentiation process is defined as a phase of pre-natal central nervous system development that commences when migrating neural cells reach their predetermined destinations within the brain
• Dual process theories of influence: Dual process theories of influence is defined generally as a conceptual analysis arguing that individuals change in response to direct forms of influence, such as persuasion)and indirect forms of influence, such as mimicking another’s . . .
• Due process: Due process is defined according to the Fourteenth Amendment of the US. Constitution as a fundamental mandate that a person should not be deprived of life, liberty, or property without reasonable and lawful procedures
• Effortful processes: Effortful processes is defined as cognitive processes that consume some of the information-processing system 's limited capacity and are hypothesized to: (1) be available to conscious awareness, (2) interfere with the execution of other . . .
• Experience-expectant Processes (or Experience-expectant Synaptogenesis): Experience-expectant Processes (or Experience-expectant Synaptogenesis) : Experience-expectant Processes (or Experience-expectant Synaptogenesis) refer to processes whereby synapses are formed and maintained when an organism has species- . . .
• Heuristic processing: Heuristic processing: Heuristic processing refers to superficial analysis of a message that focuses on cues indicating the validity or invalidity of the advocated position
• Hierarchical processing: Hierarchical processing refer to processing signals through a sequence of areas. This occurs in the visual system as signals are transmitted from the LGN to the primary visual receiving area and then to higher areas
• Hypothesis formation process: Hypothesis formation process refers to the stage of Research in which the researcher generates ideas about a cause-effect relationship between the behaviors under study
• Information processing: Information processing is defined as the view in which cognitive processes are compared to the functions of computers. The theory deals with the input, storage, retrieval, manipulation, and output of information
• Information processing approach: Information processing approach refers to an approach to cognition that uses a computer metaphor in its explanations. Information processing equates cognition with the acquisition, storage, and manipulation of information, for example, . . .
• Information-processing psychology: Information-processing psychology refers to the approach to studying cognition that follows in the tradition of faculty psychology and methodological (mediational) Behaviorism and typ ically employs the computer as a model for human . . .
• Informationally encapsulated process: Informationally encapsulated process is a process with the property of informational encapsulation. In the psychology context, an informationally encapsulated process is a cognitive process that is independent of other cognitive processes . . .
• Input-process-output (I-O-P) model: Input-process-output (I-O-P) model : Input-process-output (I-O-P) model refers to any one of a number of general conceptual analyses of groups that assumes group processes mediate the relationship between individual, group, and . . .
• Interaction process analysis: Interaction process analysis: Interaction process analysis is a method devised by Bales in which observers code the behavior of group members in terms of various categories
• Intrapsychic processes: Intrapsychic processes is a term introduced in the object relations section, this term is used throughout psychoanalysis to refer to impulses, ideas, conflicts, or other psychological phenomenon that occur within the mind
• Levels-of-processing theory of memory: Levels-of-processing theory of memory is an alternative to the modal view of memory, proposed by Craik and Lockhart, that postulates that memory depends not on a particular memory store but on the initial processing done to the information . . .
• Loss-oriented processes: Loss-oriented processes is one of the two (2) complementary sets of coping processes in mourning that is concerned primarily in coping with "restoration"
• Migratory process: Migratory process refers to a phase of pre-natal central nervous system development which is characterized by the movement of neural cells along the wall of the neural tube to genetically pre-determined locations
• Observation process: Observation process refers to the stage of research in which the researcher watches and records the behavior of interest.
• Opponent-process theory: Opponent-process theory refers to a theory which states that strong emotions tend to be followed by an opposite emotional state- also the strength of both emotional states changes over time
• Opponent-process theory of color vision: Opponent-process theory of color vision refers to a theory originally proposed by Hering, which claimed that human perception of color is determined by the activity of two ("9 opponent mechanisms: a blue–yellow mechanism and a red– . . .
• Organismic valuing process: Organismic valuing process a term which According to Rogers refers to the innate, internal guidance system that a person can use to "stay on the track" toward self-actualization
• Parallel Process: Parallel Process in the context of psychology refers to a phenomenon observed primarily within psychotherapy and counseling, but it can also be seen in other relational dynamics such as supervision, mentoring, and organizational behavior
• Personal Process: Personal Process refers to a person's own personal experience of transformation and change unique to their journey, needs and visions. In the field of psychology, personal process refers to a person's individual journey of transformation . . .
• Phonologic processing: Phonologic processing refers to the application of codes for translating letters and letter sequences into the appropriate speech-sound equivalents. Deficits in this Processing have been linked to dyslexia
• Phonological processes: Phonological processes is defined as rules that map sounds in the target language to sounds in young children's limited production repertoires. Phonological processes that are common to many children give young children's speech typical . . .
• Primary process: Primary process refers to the irrational and impulsive type of thinking that characterizes the Id. It is an action of the Id that satisfies a need, hence reducing drive tension, by producing a mental image of an object
• Process dissociation framework: Process dissociation framework refers to the idea that memory tasks typically call on a mixture of automatic and intentional cognitive processes.
• Process loss: Process loss is defined as any aspect of group interaction that inhibits good problem solving. Likewise, Process loss is reduction in performance effectiveness or efficiency caused by actions, operations, or dynamics that prevent the group . . .
• Process praise: Process praise refers to praise of effort expended to formulate good ideas and effective problem-solving strategies Process praise fosters learning goals in achievement contexts
• Processing: Processing refers to the ability to accurately perceive and manipulate information. In the context of Reading, processing refers to the ability to distinguish speech sounds and identify letter and word forms
• Processing load: Processing load is a term in problem solving which refers to the number of domains of information called into play and the amount of work necessary to select response strategies
• Retentional process: The term retentional process in psychology refers broadly to the cognitive processes involved in retaining information over time, an essential component of memory function
• Social process theories: Social process theories also known as interactionist perspectives, this Theory emphasized the give-and-take which occurs between offender, victim, and society-and specifically between the of fender and agents of formal social control such . . .
• Top-down processing (Knowledge-based processing): Top-down processing (Knowledge-based processing) : Top-down processing (knowledge-based processing) is the processing that starts with the analysis of high-level information, such as the knowledge a person brings to a situation- applying . . .
• Business Process Re-engineering: Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) refers to the methods by which a Company or service undertakes a thorough review of all its operations.
• Controlled processing: Controlled processing refers to a thinking that is conscious, intentional, voluntary, and effortful- Other /More definition: Controlled processing is defined as "explicit" thinking that is deliberate, reflective, and conscious.
• Information-processing disturbances: Information-processing disturbances refers to cognitive misperceptions and distortions in the way events are perceived and interpreted. Other /More definition: information-processing disturbances refer to cognitive misperceptions and . . .
• Information-processing theory: Information-processing theory is a Theory proposing that human cognition consists of mental hardware and mental software.
• Neural processing: Neural processing are operations that transform electrical signals within a network of neurons or that transform the response of individual neurons.
• Random process: Random process refers to a procedure that produces one outcome from a set of possible outcomes. The outcome must be unpredictable each time, and the process must guarantee that each of the possible outcomes is equally likely to occur
• Restoration-oriented processes: Restoration-oriented processes is one of the two (2) complementary sets of coping processes in mourning that include attending to life changes, doing new things and avoiding or distractiing oneself from grief, new roles, identities and . . .
• Bottom-up process: Bottom-up process refers to cognitive, usually perceptual) process guided by environmental input. Bottom-up process is also called "data-driven ” process
• Cognitive processes: Cognitive processes refers to mental processes that acquire, organize, and integrate information. Cognitive processes include memory systems that store data and the psychological mechanisms that process this information
• Process self-disclosure: Process self-disclosure: Process self-disclosure refers to a commonly used skill by a clinician - it is when the clinician expresses how he/she feels about the client in the moment
• Relational processing: Relational processing refers to a form of gesture used in conversation to refer to some aspect of the content of a conversation.
• Analytic processing: Analytic processing refers to a mode of processing information in which attention is paid to specific dimensions, features, or parts of the stimuli rather than to the overall or global aspects
• Primary process thinking: Primary process thinking is a term in psychoanalytic theory that is loosely associated, idiosyncratic, and distorted cognitive representation of the world
• Secondary process thinking: Secondary process thinking is a term in Psychoanalytic theory which refers to the kind of thinking involved in logical and rational problem solving.
• Transfer appropriate processing: Transfer appropriate processing is the principle that whether encoding activities promote memory will depend on the type of test used to assess memory performance
• Central process: Central process refers to the dominant context or mechanism through which the psychosocial crisis is resolved.
• Central route (systematic processing): Central route (systematic processing) : Central route (systematic processing ) refers to the route to persuasion that involves careful and thoughtful consideration of the content of the message (conscious processing)
• Data-based processing: Data-based processing refers to processing in which a person constructs a perception by analyzing the information falling on the receptors. Data-based processing is also called Bottom-up processing
• Coping process: Coping process: Coping process refers to the process of reacting to a
• Data-driven processes: Data-driven processes: Data-driven processes please see Bottom-up processes.
• Dialectic process: Dialectic process is a term which according to Hegel refers to the process involving an original idea, the negation of the original idea, and a synthesis of the original idea and its negation
• Effortful processing: Effortful processing that which requires all the available attentional capacity when processing information.
• Constructive processing: Constructive processing means reorganizing or updating memories on the basis of logic, reasoning, or the addition of new information.
• Data-driven processing: Data-driven processing: Data-driven processing please see Bottom-up processing
• Due Process Revolution: Due Process Revolution: Due Process Revolution is defined as due process guaranteed to suspects pursuant to Supreme Court Decisions
• Family projection process: Family projection process: Family projection process is defined as a means of projecting or transmitting a parental conflict to one or more children.
• Executive control processes: Executive control processes: Executive control processes refer to the processes involved in regulating attention and in determining what to do with information just gathered or retrieved from long-term memory
• Experience-dependent Processes (or Experience-dependent Synaptogenesis): Experience-dependent Processes (or Experience-dependent Synaptogenesis) refer to processes whereby synapses are formed and maintained as a result of the unique experiences of an individual
• Holistic processing of information: Holistic processing of information: Holistic processing of information means attending to global aspects of a situation in processing information about it
• Holistic processing: Holistic processing refers to a style of processing, associated with the right cerebral hemisphere, that is global in nature.
• Information-processessing: Information-processessing refers to the way an individual attends to, perceives, interprets, remembers, and acts on events or situations.
• Limited-capacity processor: Limited-capacity processor is a system that acquires, stores, manipulates, and/or transmits information but has fixed limits on the amount or rate of processing that it can accomplish
• Memory process: Memory process: Memory process is defined as the brain activity caused by the experiencing of an environmental event.
• Cognitive Process: Cognitive Process: A Cognitive process refers to the mental activities involved in acquiring, processing, storing, and retrieving information. These processes encompass various functions such as perception, memory, reasoning, decision- . . .
• Cognitive Processing: Cognitive Processing: Cognitive processing in psychology refers to the mental activities involved in acquiring, storing, transforming, and using information
• Healing Process: Healing Process in psychology refers to the journey of recovering from psychological distress or trauma. This involves various stages and strategies aimed at restoring mental health, emotional stability, and overall well-being
• Knowledge-based processing (Top-down processing): Knowledge-based processing (Top-down processing) : Knowledge-based processing (Top-down processing) applying higher-level knowledge to rapidly organize sensory information into a meaningful perception
• Levels of processing: Levels of processing is defined as a framework for studying memory that predicts that semantic or "deeper" encoding tasks will produce better memory for the material than perceptual or "shallow" encoding tasks
• Levels-of-processing framework: Levels-of-processing framework postulates that memory does not comprise three (3) or even any specific number of separate stores but rather varies along a continuous dimension in terms of depth of encoding
• Parallel Distributed Processing (PDP) models: Parallel Distributed Processing (PDP) models : Parallel Distributed Processing (PDP) models is the handling of very large numbers of cognitive operations at once through a network distributed across incalculable numbers of locations in . . .
• Perceptual Processes: Perceptual Processes: Perceptual processes in the psychology context refer to the series of steps that our brain and sensory systems use to interpret and understand the sensory information from our environment
• Process-experiential therapy: Process-experiential therapy refers to a relatively new treatment approach that integrates the Client-centered and Gestalt therapy traditions.
• Processes in mourning: Processes in mourning describes mourning as involving processes- the Dual process model proposed by Stroebe and Schut described two (2) basic processes: 1
• Processing constraints: Processing constraints are cognitive biases or tendencies which lead infants and toddlers to favor certain interpretations of the meaning of new words over other interpretations
• Processing resources: Processing resources refers to the amount of attention one has to apply to a particular situation.
• Attentional processes: Attentional processes refers to the processes that determine what is attended to and therefore what is learned through observation. Other /More definition: Attentional processes refer to the act of perceiving or watching something and . . .
• Bottom-up processing: Bottom-up processing refers to a response to a stimulus directly in terms of what is seen or experienced- Other /More definition: Bottom-up processing refers to the act of basing judgments on data rather than on inference
• Deep Processing: Deep Processing refers to a a process that can help retrieve information from long-term memory

Weblinks

• finanzen-lexikon.de: 'Prozess' in the finanzen-lexikon.de (German)
• quality-database.eu: 'Process' in the glossary of the quality-database.eu
• maritime-glossary.com: 'Process' in the maritime-glossary.com
• industrie-lexikon.de: 'Prozess' in the industrie-lexikon.de (German)
• environment-database.eu: 'Process' in the glossary of the environment-database.eu
• umweltdatenbank.de: 'Prozess' im Lexikon der umweltdatenbank.de (German)
• travel-glossary.com: 'Process' in the travel-glossary.com
• top500.de: 'Process' in the glossary of the top500.de
• quality-database.eu: 'Process' in the glossary of the quality-database.eu
• maritime-glossary.com: 'Process' in the maritime-glossary.com
• environment-database.eu: 'Process' in the glossary of the environment-database.eu

Summary

In psychology, a process is a sequence of mental, emotional, or behavioral events that lead to a particular outcome. Understanding these processes is fundamental to the study of human behavior, cognition, and development. Psychologists use the concept of process to explain how individuals learn, adapt, and interact with the world, making it a central focus in both research and therapeutic practice.

--