Reflection is both a ______________ and _________________process.

• A. internal; external
• B. cognitive; affective
• C. external; internal
• D. psychological; social

Answer: (C)

Reflection involves a dual processing of experience: examining what happened in the external world and examining your own thoughts and feelings about it. The external side looks at actions taken, events that occurred, outcomes, and feedback from the environment—the observable part of the situation. The internal side digs into your thinking, beliefs, biases, and emotions—the inner work that shapes how you interpret the experience and what you decide to do differently next time. Together, these two facets mean reflection is best understood as both external and internal. For example, after a counseling session you’d consider what happened with the client (external) and also how you felt, what you assumed, and what you might adjust in your approach (internal). The other pairings focus only on one aspect of the process and thus don’t capture the full reflective practice.