The term transference was applied by Freud in his development of psychoanalysis. According to this theorist, transference is a reedition of emotions and fantasies incited towards one person and then transferred to another. These psychic experiences are not relived as something from the past but as a current link with another person.
The interactions that the person had in his childhood with the main figures that surrounded him generated feelings, emotions, drives as well as desires and fantasies, which are proper to the psyche of each person. These remain repressed in the unconscious and condition his behavior in adulthood. In certain situations, they can be awakened and projected onto others, with the person reacting in the same way as he did in childhood.
In psychology, transference has been interpreted as a pathology that interferes with the therapy session, in our case, the ski lesson or the training session. It is now considered as a complex interaction of memories, feelings, and emotions that originate subconscious actions. It is a psychic phenomenon that occurs in relationships and interactions as may well happen during recreational ski lessons or sports training practices. This phenomenon can be considered as a distortion of reality by the skier.
Transference is the psychic function by which the learner or athlete (hereafter “the skier”) unconsciously transfers repressed childhood feelings or desires elicited by his or her relationship with close people and projects them in the present onto another person, in this case the instructor or coach (hereafter “the ski pro”).
When reviving defenses, the skier may react by adopting a condescending and peaceful attitude by accepting the ski pro pretensions, or may react in a hostile and adverse way by resisting their indications, just as he reacted in his childhood to conflictive or threatening situations. They may also experience erotic fantasies or arouse them in the professional himself, or perceive him as someone who is always right and adopt a paranoid attitude.
The skier may demonstrate anger or distress that is excessive for the situation or, conversely, display excessive or inappropriate laughter about something that is not funny. An obvious sign of transference is when the skier directs his emotions toward the ski pro, such as accusing him/her of hurting his feelings by demanding a certain action, which reminds him of a similar situation with their parents.
The main transference categories are:
- Positive transference occurs when the skier projects pleasant aspects of a past relationship onto the ski pro, perceiving him or her as caring, supportive, sensible, or empathetic, which is beneficial to the teaching-learning process. If these aspects become intense they may involve eroticized transference.
- Negative transference occurs when the skier projects hostile feelings toward the ski pro. While this may be interpreted as detrimental, if the ski pro recognizes this behavior, it is possible to use it as an analysis of the skier’s emotional responses.
- Sexualized or eroticized transference is when the skier is intimately, romantically, or sexually attracted to the ski pro.
Types of transference
- Paternal transference is perceiving the ski pro as the father figure in terms of protector, authoritarian, strong, or wise, and feelings of admiration or rejection may emerge depending on the relationship the skier had with his/her own father.
- Maternal transference refers to associating the ski pro with the figure of the mother being perceived as affectionate, tender, consoling, and reassuring. This transference can generate confidence or negative feelings according to the treatment with the mother.
- Sibling transference reflects relationships with siblings, especially when the father or mother figure is missing, considering the ski pro as a sibling.
- Non-familial transference occurs when the skier idealizes the ski pro, reflecting stereotyped figures such as, for example, a doctor who heals.
There is transference from the skier to the ski pro when:
- Reminds the ski pro of the skier’s mother/father, or a previous boyfriend/girlfriend.
- The skier transfers feelings associated with an adverse or authoritarian paternal or fraternal relationship so that he/she perceives the ski pro as an adversary, adopting a defensive attitude and resisting his/her recommendations.
- Idealizes the ski pro, thinking he/she is perfect.
- Wants to know details of the ski pro personal life.
- Flatters the ski pro too much.
- Gives constant gifts to the ski pro.
- Often compares the ski pro with people close to the skier.
- Asks to the ski pro for advice to make decisions in the skier’s personal life.
