BMB 3 - Defense Mechanisms

Question 1

Psychological defense mechanisms are _________ mental process that provides relief against _________ anxiety or unacceptable urges.

Answer 1

Psychological defense mechanisms are unconscious mental process that provides relief against conscious anxiety or unacceptable urges.

Question 2

All psychological defense mechanisms fall in one of what two categories?

Answer 2

Mature

Immature

Question 3

What is the major difference between mature and immature ego defenses?

Answer 3

Mature are adaptive;

immature are maladaptive

Question 4

What are the four main forms of mature defense mechanisms?

Answer 4

SASH

Suppression

Altruism

Sublimation

Humor

Question 5

Joking about an anxiety-provoking or adverse situation is an example of which mature ego defense mechanism?

Answer 5

Humor

Question 6

Voluntary, intentional blocking of upsetting feelings and thoughts is an example of which mature ego defense mechanism?

Answer 6

Suppression

Question 7

Alleviating negative feelings with unsolicited generosity is an example of which mature ego defense mechanism?

Answer 7

Altruism

Question 8

Channeling emotions into more socially acceptable behaviors is an example of which mature ego defense mechanism?

Answer 8

Sublimation

Question 9

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?

Answer 9

Suppression

(a mature defense)

Question 10

Adult woman throws a tantrum when she doesn’t get what she wants.

This is an example of which ego defense mechanism?

Answer 10

Acting out

(immature)

Question 11

A newly diagnosed cancer patient proceeds with life normally as if nothing had changed.

This is an example of which ego defense mechanism?

Answer 11

Denial

(immature)

Question 12

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?

Answer 12

Displacement

(immature)

Question 13

Elizabeth Holmes wearing turtlenecks and deepening her voice to appear more like her hero Steve Jobs is an example of which ego defense mechanism?

Answer 13

Identification

(immature)

Question 14

Upon exposure to an acute, intense stressor, a patient begins to act numb and detached.

This is an example of which ego defense mechanism?

Answer 14

Dissociation

(immature)

Question 15

A person emotionlessly describes a murder in graphic detail.

This is an example of which ego defense mechanism?

Answer 15

Isolation of affect

(immature)

Question 16

A newly diagnosed AIDS patient focuses entirely on the details of the rate of survival.

This is an example of which ego defense mechanism?

Answer 16

Intellectualization

(immature)

Question 17

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?

Answer 17

Passive aggression

(immature)

Question 18

A teenager who is furious at her parents accuses them of being angry at her.

This is an example of which ego defense mechanism?

Answer 18

Projection

(immature)

Question 19

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?

Answer 19

Rationalization

(immature)

Question 20

A stepmom despises her stepchildren but is overprotective of them.

This is an example of which ego defense mechanism?

Answer 20

Reaction formation

(immature)

Question 21

A toilet-trained child wets his bed after the birth of a new sibling.

This is an example of which ego defense mechanism?

Answer 21

Regression

(immature)

Question 22

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?

Answer 22

Fixation

(immature)

Question 23

A teenager does not recall going to family counseling five years ago.

This is an example of which ego defense mechanism?

Answer 23

Repression

(immature)

Question 24

What is the difference between suppression and repression as ego defenses?

Answer 24

Suppression is voluntary/intentional

Repression is involuntary/unintentional

Question 25

When approaching a project deadline, an employee begins to feel ill and complains of nausea.

This is an example of which ego defense mechanism?

Answer 25

Somatization

(immature)

Question 26

A patient tells you that all medical students are kind and all doctors are uncaring.

This is an example of which ego defense mechanism?

Answer 26

Splitting

(immature)

Question 27

A murderer tries to “undo” their crime by painting the corpse’s fingernails.

This is an example of which ego defense mechanism?

Answer 27

Undoing

(immature)

Question 28

Splitting (the immature ego defense) is more common in individuals with what diagnosis?

Answer 28

Borderline personality disorder

Question 29

Identification (the immature ego defense) is fairly common in individuals in what dangerous situation?

Answer 29

Domestic abuse

(think of identification in terms of victims of domestic violence or Stockholm syndrome)