Which approach is used primarily when an author wishes to create a vivid impression of thoughts and emotions?

The stream of consciousness approach is a narrative technique that effectively captures the inner thoughts and emotions of characters in a detailed and immersive way. This method reflects the continuous flow of a character's thoughts, feelings, and sensory experiences as they occur, often presenting them in a seemingly unstructured or chaotic manner.

By employing this technique, authors can convey a deeper understanding of a character's psyche, allowing readers to experience their thoughts and emotions in a more visceral and immediate way. It often includes rapid shifts in perspective and a lack of clear transitions, resembling the way thoughts naturally occur in the human mind, thereby creating a vivid impression that draws the reader into the character's subjective experience.

In contrast, the other options focus on different aspects of writing. Cause and effect examines relationships between events, consonance deals with the repetition of consonant sounds in language, and problem/solution writing emphasizes identifying issues and proposing resolutions. None of these techniques are primarily concerned with the intimate portrayal of thoughts and emotions in the same way that stream of consciousness is.