Definition of associationism - What it is, Meaning and Concept

The associationism is a stream of the psychology that arose in Great Britain and is intended to explain the psychic issues based on the principles that govern association of ideas .This theory, in short, reflects on how thoughts establish different kinds of combinations in the mind.

John Locke ( 1632 - 1704 ), according to the postulates of Aristoteles ( 384 BC - 322 BC ), He assured that human beings are born in white, without any kind of innate ability or natural aptitude.Only the experiences that people live with the passage of time allow them to develop certain representations, which means that ideas do not arise through reasoning.

According to experimental psychology , on the other hand, there is talk of passive associationism ng> to indicate how the mind acts as a reflection of the natural representations that give meaning to existence.

In this sense, it would be necessary to underline that within that cited field of psychology there are many schools that have approached and bet, in one way or another, for what is associationism.Thus, for example, I could highlight the empiricist mentalist psychology, the behaviorism that is based on the stimulus-response union, the connection that revolves around mental behavior and processes, or psychoanalysis that focuses on the free association of ideas as a therapeutic method.

David Hartley ( 1705 - 1757 ) and James Mill ( 1773 - 1836 ) also postulated that consciousness is the consequence of the law of association , which implies a link between the elements that are captured by the senses.

Associationism is, in another sense, a social movement that proposes the creation of political, civic and other associations to deal with matters of community interest.

At this time, precisely within what is associationism, we must highlight the boom experienced by the one that takes place in the midst of what is youth, as well as the different agencies and public administrations, both locally and provincial or national, encourage the union of young people for the implementation of these associations.

And it is that thanks to these work groups, its members have at their fingertips to participate actively in what is the society in which they live making proposals, proposing projects that interest them or developing all kinds of actions that They improve both their well-being and the rest of the citizens.

A phrase that could serve as an example of what we have said in the last place is the following: “The Madrid City Council encourages the association between youth and he got this launched by the Youth Cultural Association from which reading workshops, theatrical performances and concerts are held.”

Finally, it should be noted that in the framework of social education , associationism is a postulate that argues that citizen participation in public debate is the best way to modify reality and improve the collective conditions of life, since it allows to pursue the common good.