The Problem Of Confirmation In Clinical Psychoanalysis

Abstract

The fact that a statement has scientific credibility only to the extent that it is confirmed makes it desirable to examine clinical confirmation of clinical hypotheses of the type that, when presented to patients in psychoanalysis or psychotherapy, commonly are referred to as interpretations. An attempt is made to show that clinical confirmation in significant ways resembles confirmation in natural science. Certain peculiarities of psychoanalytic prediction and postdiction are discussed.