Internalisation

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

  1. The method of transforming outside information into personal knowledge occurs when individuals assimilate external ideas into their internal belief system
  2. This involves the acceptance and adaptation of external principles that become part of an individual's core understanding and values
  3. The process by which external concepts are integrated into one's own cognitive frameworks and influence personal beliefs occurs through active assimilation and understanding

Etymology: The concept behind this noun involves the process of making something internal or integrating it within oneself or a system. Its roots trace back to the verb "internalize," which emerged in English around the late 19th to early 20th century, primarily used in psychology and philosophy to describe the incorporation of external ideas, attitudes, or values into one’s own mental framework. This verb itself is formed by combining the adjective "internal," meaning "inside" or "within," with the suffix "-ize," which turns adjectives or nouns into verbs indicating the process of becoming or causing to become. The adjective "internal" originates from the Latin "internus," meaning "inward" or "inside," which gives the term a clear spatial metaphor for the psychological or social process it describes. Adding the suffix "-ation," common in English for forming abstract nouns from verbs, turned "internalize" into the noun that denotes the act or process of internalizing. This suffix comes from Latin "-atio," which denotes an action or process, making the noun refer specifically to the ongoing or completed process rather than the state itself. The word gained traction particularly in social sciences and education, where it refers to the way external norms, behaviors, or knowledge become part of an individual's belief system or identity, highlighting a shift from an external origin to an internal state. This shift from physical or spatial connotations to psychological and social processes illustrates how language adapts concrete ideas to abstract concepts over time.

Synonyms: internalization, incorporation, assimilation, integration, embodiment