secondary processes

plural noun

1. psychoanal the logical conscious type of mental functioning, guided by external reality Compare primary processes

Example Sentences

Future research might lead to a firm understanding of the primary versus secondary processes that shaped this rock.

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Learning, humour; these more advanced capabilities are known as secondary processes, but the primary processes are built in by evolution as part of the instincts for living in the basement of the brain.

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Though many researchers now agree that beta amyloid is an important trigger for Alzheimer's, most also believe that secondary processes, such as the buildup of another protein called tau, drive the disease in its later stages.

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"Traumatic brain injury is not a static event. It can set off secondary processes, possibly related to inflammation, that can cause more damage in the brain for years afterwards, and may contribute to the development of Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia," study leader Dr. James Cole, from Imperial College London, said in a college news release.

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“Instead of the person sort of bailing out when memory fails and saying ‘Gee, I don’t know’ or ‘I guess I’m not going to identify anyone,’ secondary processes kick in,” Wells, an Iowa State University psychology professor exploring these issues for 35 years, explained in a statement.

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