BMB 3 - Defense Mechanisms Flashcards
Psychological defense mechanisms are _________ mental process that provides relief against _________ anxiety or unacceptable urges.
Psychological defense mechanisms are unconscious mental process that provides relief against conscious anxiety or unacceptable urges.
All psychological defense mechanisms fall in one of what two categories?
Mature
Immature
What is the major difference between mature and immature ego defenses?
Mature are adaptive;
immature are maladaptive
What are the four main forms of mature defense mechanisms?
SASH
Suppression
Altruism
Sublimation
Humor
Joking about an anxiety-provoking or adverse situation is an example of which mature ego defense mechanism?
Humor
Voluntary, intentional blocking of upsetting feelings and thoughts is an example of which mature ego defense mechanism?
Suppression
Alleviating negative feelings with unsolicited generosity is an example of which mature ego defense mechanism?
Altruism
Channeling emotions into more socially acceptable behaviors is an example of which mature ego defense mechanism?
Sublimation
You failed an important exam, but you figure that “It is what it is” and stop thinking about it.
This is an example of which ego defense mechanism?
Suppression
(a mature defense)
Adult woman throws a tantrum when she doesn’t get what she wants.
This is an example of which ego defense mechanism?
Acting out
(immature)
A newly diagnosed cancer patient proceeds with life normally as if nothing had changed.
This is an example of which ego defense mechanism?
Denial
(immature)
A teacher is yelled at by the principal. Instead of confronting the principal, she goes home and scolds her children.
This is an example of which ego defense mechanism?
Displacement
(immature)
Elizabeth Holmes wearing turtlenecks and deepening her voice to appear more like her hero Steve Jobs is an example of which ego defense mechanism?
Identification
(immature)
Upon exposure to an acute, intense stressor, a patient begins to act numb and detached.
This is an example of which ego defense mechanism?
Dissociation
(immature)
A person emotionlessly describes a murder in graphic detail.
This is an example of which ego defense mechanism?
Isolation of affect
(immature)
A newly diagnosed AIDS patient focuses entirely on the details of the rate of survival.
This is an example of which ego defense mechanism?
Intellectualization
(immature)
An employee is repeatedly late to work in order to get back at his boss for her behavior.
This is an example of which ego defense mechanism?
Passive aggression
(immature)
A teenager who is furious at her parents accuses them of being angry at her.
This is an example of which ego defense mechanism?
Projection
(immature)
Upon failling to get the job you wanted and worked for, you claim it was not important anyway.
This is an example of which ego defense mechanism?
Rationalization
(immature)
A stepmom despises her stepchildren but is overprotective of them.
This is an example of which ego defense mechanism?
Reaction formation
(immature)
A toilet-trained child wets his bed after the birth of a new sibling.
This is an example of which ego defense mechanism?
Regression
(immature)
A young child who has met all her developmental milestones experiences an intense stressor and fails to continue progressing in certain milestones.
This is an example of which ego defense mechanism?
Fixation
(immature)
A teenager does not recall going to family counseling five years ago.
This is an example of which ego defense mechanism?
Repression
(immature)
What is the difference between suppression and repression as ego defenses?
Suppression is voluntary/intentional
Repression is involuntary/unintentional
When approaching a project deadline, an employee begins to feel ill and complains of nausea.
This is an example of which ego defense mechanism?
Somatization
(immature)
A patient tells you that all medical students are kind and all doctors are uncaring.
This is an example of which ego defense mechanism?
Splitting
(immature)
A murderer tries to “undo” their crime by painting the corpse’s fingernails.
This is an example of which ego defense mechanism?
Undoing
(immature)
Splitting (the immature ego defense) is more common in individuals with what diagnosis?
Borderline personality disorder
Identification (the immature ego defense) is fairly common in individuals in what dangerous situation?
Domestic abuse
(think of identification in terms of victims of domestic violence or Stockholm syndrome)
