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interpretation

n.

1. in psychotherapy, explanation by the therapist in terms that are meaningful to the client of the client’s issues, behaviors, or feelings. Interpretation typically is made along the lines of the conceptual framework or dynamic model of the particular therapy. In psychoanalysis, for example, the analyst uses the constructs of psychoanalytic theory to interpret the patient’s early experiences, dreams, character defenses, and resistance. Although interpretation exists to some extent in almost any form of therapy, it is a critical procedural step in psychoanalysis and in other forms of psychodynamic psychotherapy.

2. an oral translation (see interpret).

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Psychology term of the day

January 30th 2025

temporal consistency

temporal consistency

the correlation between measurements obtained from the same test or instrument when administered to the same sample on two different occasions. Temporal consistency is an index of the retest reliability of an instrument. It assumes that there is no substantial change in the construct being measured between the two occasions. The longer the time gap, the greater the likelihood of a lower correlation. Also called temporal stability.