In ego psychology, persistent lateness for appointments is interpreted as which signal?

• A. ambivalence and resistance
• B. low level of interest
• C. anxiety about time
• D. external stressors

Answer: (A)

In ego psychology, consistent lateness is seen as a signal of internal conflict about therapy. It reflects ambivalence and resistance rather than simple disinterest or external factors. Ambivalence means the person experiences competing feelings about engaging in treatment—wanting help but also wanting to maintain the status quo. Resistance is the ego’s defensive move to avoid anxiety, dependence, or intrusion, using lateness to test the therapist or to keep control over the therapeutic process. While other explanations like low interest, time anxiety, or external stressors focus on surface factors, lateness as ambivalence and resistance highlights the intrapsychic dynamics at play in the therapeutic relationship.