In psychoanalytic therapy, the patient is asked to state aloud the first words that came to his/her mind.

• A. Dream interpretation
• B. Free association
• C. Transference
• D. Countertransference

Answer: (B)

Free association is a psychoanalytic technique in which the patient says aloud whatever comes to mind, with minimal censorship. This approach aims to bypass conscious defenses and reveal unconscious material—wishes, fears, conflicts—that shape thoughts and behavior. Asking for the first words that come to mind helps prevent filtering by logic or social desirability, allowing spontaneous associations that can illuminate underlying issues. Dream interpretation analyzes dream content to uncover unconscious wishes; transference is the patient projecting feelings about others onto the therapist; countertransference is the therapist’s emotional reactions to the patient. Thus the described method focuses on immediate verbal output to access unconscious material, making it the correct choice.