Which term refers to a slip of the tongue considered evidence of the unconscious?

Which term refers to a slip of the tongue considered evidence of the unconscious?

• A. Parapraxis
• B. Introjection
• C. Displacement
• D. Repression

Answer: (A)

Parapraxis is the term for a slip of the tongue that reveals unconscious wishes or conflicts. In psychoanalytic theory, these lapses aren’t random mistakes; they act as windows into hidden thoughts that the person may not consciously acknowledge. When a word or phrase accidentally comes out that contradicts what the speaker intends or feels, it can expose underlying desires, tensions, or repressed material trying to surface. That’s why parapraxis fits this question best. The other terms refer to different processes: introjection involves internalizing others’ beliefs or attributes; displacement is shifting emotions from the original target to a safer substitute; repression is pushing troubling thoughts out of conscious awareness. None of them specifically describe a speech slip that provides access to unconscious content.

Parapraxis is the term for a slip of the tongue that reveals unconscious wishes or conflicts. In psychoanalytic theory, these lapses aren’t random mistakes; they act as windows into hidden thoughts that the person may not consciously acknowledge. When a word or phrase accidentally comes out that contradicts what the speaker intends or feels, it can expose underlying desires, tensions, or repressed material trying to surface.

That’s why parapraxis fits this question best. The other terms refer to different processes: introjection involves internalizing others’ beliefs or attributes; displacement is shifting emotions from the original target to a safer substitute; repression is pushing troubling thoughts out of conscious awareness. None of them specifically describe a speech slip that provides access to unconscious content.