Defence Mechanisms Flashcards
What is - Unconsciously blocking unpleasant thoughts or memories from awareness?
Repression
What is - Refusing to accept reality or facts to avoid dealing with painful emotions?
Denial
What is - Attributing one’s own unacceptable thoughts or feelings to someone else?
Projection
What is - Redirecting emotions from the original source to a safer target (e.g., taking out anger on a pet instead of a boss).
Displacement
What is - Reverting to behaviors typical of an earlier stage of development during stressful times?
Regression
What is - Justifying behaviors or feelings with logical but untrue explanations?
Rationalization
What is - Channeling unacceptable impulses into socially acceptable or constructive activities (e.g., expressing aggression through sports).
Sublimation
What is - Behaving in a way that is opposite to one’s true feelings or desires?
Reaction Formation
What is - Using logic and reasoning to block out emotional distress?
Intellectualization
What is - Adopting the characteristics of someone perceived as stronger or more capable to deal with one’s own insecurities?
Identification
What is - Overachieving in one area to make up for perceived deficiencies in another?
Compensation
What is - Escaping into imagination to avoid reality or stressful situations?
Fantasy
What is - Separating emotions from thoughts or events, detaching oneself emotionally?
Isolation (of Affect)
What is - Attempting to “reverse” a thought or behavior by performing an action that symbolically cancels it out?
Undoing
What is - Viewing people or situations in extremes (e.g., all good or all bad) without recognizing complexity?
Splitting
What is - Consciously choosing to delay paying attention to an emotion or need, but not completely repressing it?
Suppression
What is - Internalizing the beliefs or attitudes of others as one’s own?
Introjection
What is Detaching from reality as a way to avoid distress (e.g., feeling numb or disconnected)?
Dissociation
What is - Transforming emotional distress into physical symptoms?
Conversion
What is - Expressing unconscious emotions or impulses through actions rather than words?
Acting Out
What is the purpose of Defence Mechanisms?
These mechanisms are often unconscious and serve to protect the ego from anxiety or internal conflict, but over-reliance on them can interfere with personal growth and relationships.
