Before reading this question, you were not thinking about the name of the first president of the United States. In terms of Freud's theory of personality, the name was stored at the preconscious level of awareness. However, since the question brought the name of the first president to mind, it is at the conscious level of awareness.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to Freud's theory of personality, information at the preconscious level is not currently in conscious awareness, but can be easily retrieved and brought to consciousness with minimal effort or distraction. The question triggered the retrieval of the name of the first president, moving it from the preconscious level to the conscious level of awareness.

Before Reading This Question, You Were Not Thinking About the Name