Chapter 11 Flashcards
Define defense mechanisms
the techniques the ego uses to cnotain dangerous thoughts and impulses
Another name for Freudian slips is ________
Parapraxes
Through what mechanism does Freud beleive the ego purposely allows the expression of forbidden feelings or thoughts?
Wit and Humour
What is psychic conflict?
The mind battling itself, the ID, Ego and Superego fight each other.
The result of psychic conflict is _______
anxiety
Ego psychologists believe that_______is an important function of the ego
compromise formation
What is terror management theory?
The fact that many of our thought processes and motivations are based on an effort to deal with and avoid thinking about the fact that everyone is going to die someday.
Who developed Terror management theory?
Tom Pyszczynski, Jeff Greenberg and Sheldon Solomon
What can cause realistic anxiety?
Relationships, school. career, any threat to self-esteem
Is it good to experience anxiety?
-yes and no
The student who is anxious about the test will study and do better than the student who just doesn’t think about it. This will reduce the student who was originally anxious’s anxiety in the long run.
- Must keep anxiety within bounds
What are the ego’s eight defense strategies?
Denial, repression, reaction formation, projection, rationalization, intellectualization, displacement, sublimation.
Define denial
A person refuses to acknowledge the source of current anxiety or fails to perceive it in the first place. Effective in the short term but leads to lack or contact with reality in the long run.
What is the primary purpose of denial?
To keep someone form being overwhelmed by the initial shock at something while other ore permanent psychological resources are gathered
Define Repression
Refers to banishing the past from your present awareness and managing not to think about it. More complex and longer lasting than denial. Repression requires psychic energy from the ego to fight the id and superego’s energy, if too much is repressed anxiety will break through.
How does repression cause depression?
Because the ego’s energ store is limited the more energy devoted to depression the less for anything else and a severe shortage of free psychic energy can lead to depression.
Define Reaction formation
Keeps forbidden thoughts, feelings and impulses out of awareness by instigating their opposites. The impulse never reaches conscious
When is reaction formation most likely to be used?
If the forbidden impulse is very dangerous or strong and an extra defense seems necessary.
According to reaction formation someone who loudly denounces homosexuals is actually __________
in favour/ a homosexual
An example of reaction formation between siblings is:
The older siblings love of younger siblings. Originally they hated them but then they discovered that parents care and out of fear love them. lol
Projection
attribute an unwanted impulse or attribute in oneself to other people
Rationalization
Create a seemingly logical reason for doing something shameful.
Intellectualization
Translate a threatening situation into cold, intellectual terms
Displacement
Redirect forbidden impulse onto a safer target
Sublimation
Convert base impulse into a noble cause, productive activity
“I forgot” is an example of
Repression
“Pornography is the biggest menace to humanity there is” is an example of
Reaction formation
“you have to be cruel to be kind” is an example of
Rationalization
“Professor dartboards” is an example of
Displacement
“Football or high art” is an example of
Sublimation
“No! That isn’t possible” is an example of
Denial
“The patient expired” is an example of
Intellectualization
“I’m surrounded by morons” is an example of
Projection
If people are told to think about a bad trait in themselves and then rate another person they tend to rate the other person as worse in the bad trait in themselves, this is an example of_________
Projection
What is the most widely used defense mechanism
Rationalization
When people express an opinion that is not their own they experience this__________. And as a result change their belief to match what they said___________
cognitive dissonance
Rationalization
Which defense mechanism is a property of the ids primary process thinking
Displacement
Displacement can be a problem if_______
If it eliminates direct action and if it harms innocents
What are parapraxes?
Freudian slips or leage from the unconscious mind manifesting as a mistake, accident or omission
Examples of Parapraxes
Forgetting, word “freudian” slips,
How are humour and Parapraxes different?
Parapraxes are failures of defense and can be harmful while humour expresses forbidden impulses in a controlled manner
Freud saw wit as a form of the defense mechanism ________
sublimation
What tactic is important in order for humour to be seen as funny when expressing a forbidden impulse?
Surprise
When won’t jokes be funny?
If the person doesn’t have the forbidden impulse
Critiques of Freuds theory:
1) Excessive Complexity -doesn’t follow occam’s razer
2) Used case studies that can’t be tested b/c they are confidential
3) Vague definitions
4) Untestable
5) Sexism
