Sigmund Freud suggested that in therapy a person may transfer important intense, unrealistic feelings and expectations from their past onto the therapist, so that their relationship mirrors other relationships in the client's life. Another possibility, however, is that stable personality traits in the client may cause him or her to simply react in similar ways to different people. This is an important reminder of the critical-thinking concept of ________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Ruling out rival hypotheses involves considering multiple explanations for a phenomenon and eliminating those that have already been ruled out or have insufficient evidence to support them. In this case, Freud's suggestion is one possible explanation for why a client may transfer feelings onto a therapist, but it is important to also consider other possible explanations such as stable personality traits. Therefore, ruling out rival hypotheses is important in critical thinking about this issue.

Sigmund Freud Suggested That in Therapy a Person May Transfer