Exploratory Mechanistic Models of Psychodynamic Processes

This work presents a mechanistic modeling framework for the psychodynamic defense mechanisms of projection and repression. Three progressively formalized models are introduced: a simplified conceptual flow, a gated blending function, and a binary threshold model that determines defense selection. The framework treats the unconscious decision process as a functional network, tracing the pathway from internal affect and conflict through gating logic to observable output. Each model is parameterized for potential computational simulation, enabling exploration of defense dynamics under varied conditions. By moving beyond abstract system-level formulations, this work provides a concrete, simulation-ready representation of specific psychodynamic processes, bridging clinical psychodynamic theory and computational psychiatry.