Association

Association psychology is one of the main theories that explains how we perceive and process information. This theory is based on the fact that our thoughts are associated with various ideas and images that are associated with them. According to this theory, when we perceive any information, our brain automatically connects with certain associations.

In today's world, where information spreads quickly and easily, it is important not only to know the current news, but also to understand its context. One of the topics that generates debate among scientists and the public is the topic of associations. Associations are connections between two or more objects or concepts that arise in our minds when they are presented simultaneously. These connections can be both positive and negative, and depend on our experience, personal preferences and emotional state.

In psychology, associations play an important role because they determine our thinking, perception and behavior. They allow us to connect different concepts and ideas with each other, creating a more holistic view of the world. Without associative connections, understanding new ideas, learning and communication would be impossible. On the other hand, if our associations are too biased by stereotypes or negative emotions, this can lead to bias and limiting of our perceptions.

Associations are an important element of culture and tradition. Through them we pass on our knowledge and experience to subsequent generations. However, sometimes associations can be distorted based on political or social processes. For example, associations between national symbols or images can become political tools for manipulating public opinion. The same thing can happen with stereotypes, when certain groups of people are perceived as undesirable or suspicious.

Thus, associations play a key role in our lives and culture. They can be helpful and positive, but they can also cause negative prejudice and discrimination. Therefore, it is important to realize and study our associations so that they do not interfere with our sanity and attitude towards the world around us.

Association is one of two forms (along with dissociation) of neurotic conflict in the psychiatry of Carl Jung. It is understood as an obsessive connection between incompatible (but not opposite) mental contents.

Association also sometimes refers to a way of forming a coherent conclusion. Synonyms: associative method, RAM. In machine learning it is called “associative forms of communication”.

However, in recent years, researchers of human and animal cognitive functions have expanded their understanding of the term “association”, considering it from the point of view of a person’s ability to categorize information. That is why the famous Russian psychologist Lev Mikhailovich Wekker designates a new understanding of association as the principle of joint work of two neurons located at different levels of the same analyzer (for example, tactile and visual) and capable of forming a joint functional field [1]. By analogy with the categorization mechanism, a distinction is made between upper and lower associations. The subject can explain