free association
Quick Summary
Free association is a technique used in psychology, particularly in psychoanalysis, to explore the unconscious mind. It involves encouraging a patient to express thoughts, ideas, or images without censorship or self-correction. The goal is to gain access to repressed memories and unconscious processes that may be contributing to mental disorders or psychological issues.123
In practice, a patient might be asked to say the first word that comes to mind in response to a given stimulus, such as another word. This method, pioneered by Sigmund Freud, helps uncover connections between ideas and can reveal underlying emotional conflicts or anxieties. It is also used in association tests to study how mental elements are organized.132
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- mental disorderDevelopment of psychotherapy
…based on the technique of free association—the production by the patients, aloud and without suppression or self-censorship of any kind, of the thoughts and feelings about whatever was uppermost in their minds. From this beginning Freud gradually developed what became known as psychoanalysis. Other features of the new procedure included…
Read More…based on the technique of free association—the production by the patients, aloud and without suppression or self-censorship of any kind, of the thoughts and feelings about whatever was uppermost in their minds. From this beginning Freud gradually developed what became known as psychoanalysis. Other features of the new procedure included…
Read More - mental disorderPsychoanalytic psychotherapy
…consciousness is that of “free association.” (See association test.) In free association, according to Freud, the patient
Read More…consciousness is that of “free association.” (See association test.) In free association, according to Freud, the patient
Read More