Sigmund Freud revolutionized our understanding of dreams by proposing that they are a window into the unconscious mind. According to Freud, dreams are not mere stories our minds create while we sleep but are profoundly meaningful narratives about our hidden desires and fears. He introduced two key concepts: manifest content and latent content. The manifest content is the actual content and imagery of the dream — what we remember when we wake up. The latent content, however, represents the...

One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states.  

Controlled processes in human consciousness represent high-alert mental states where individuals deliberately focus their attention on achieving specific goals. Controlled processes can be seen in situations like mastering new technology, where a person might become so absorbed that they ignore surrounding distractions. Such processes involve selective attention, requiring one to concentrate on particular elements of experience while disregarding others. These are governed by executive...

Lucid dreaming is a unique state of consciousness where an individual realizes they are dreaming while still in the dream. This awareness allows them to manipulate their dream environment consciously. Researchers like Stephen LaBerge have significantly contributed to the understanding of lucid dreams, highlighting that during these dreams, certain areas of the brain, such as the prefrontal cortex, that involve self-awareness and thought evaluation show increased activity.
Studies have shown...

The confirmation bias is the tendency to focus on information that confirms our existing beliefs and ignore information that is inconsistent with our expectations. For example, if you think that your professor is not very nice, you notice all of the instances of rude behavior exhibited by the professor while ignoring the countless pleasant interactions he is involved in on a daily basis. Have you ever fallen prey to the confirmation bias, either as the source or target of such bias?

Frustration occurs when people are obstructed or prevented from achieving a desired goal or fulfilling a perceived need. For example, when someone's input is ignored in a discussion, it can lead to feelings of frustration. Conflict, however, arises from opposing interests, goals, or actions. Conflicts can take various forms based on the nature of these opposing desires or goals.
One common type of conflict is the Approach–Approach Conflict. In this case, a person faces two desirable...