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alternate-uses test

a test of divergent thinking that requires the participant to cite as many uses as possible for a specified object other than its common use. For example, a newspaper could be used for starting a fire or packing objects in a box.

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Psychology term of the day

November 27th 2024

psychoanalytic play technique

psychoanalytic play technique

a method of child analysis developed by Melanie Klein during the 1920s, in which play activity is interpreted as symbolic of underlying fantasies and conflicts and substitutes for free association. The therapist provides toys for the child and encourages free, imaginative play in order to reveal the child’s unconscious wishes and conflicts.