What term refers to a presumed but unobserved process or entity, such as Freud's id or ego?

• A. HYPOTHETICAL CONSTRUCT
• B. MENTALISM
• C. SPONTANEOUS RECOVERY
• D. MAINTENANCE

Answer: (A)

A hypothetical construct is a presumed but unobserved process or entity used to explain behavior. Freud’s id and ego are classic examples—they’re ideas we infer to account for mental life, yet we cannot observe them directly. Because the question is asking for the term that names this kind of inferred, unobservable element, the best answer is hypothetical construct. M entalism describes relying on mental explanations in general, but the precise term for an unobserved element used to explain behavior is hypothetical construct. Spontaneous recovery refers to a specific phenomenon in learning where a previously extinguished response reappears, and maintenance is about sustaining a behavior over time, not about naming unobserved processes.