Defence mechanisms Flashcards
What are they used to protect ?
The ego from imaginary threat
Why do we use them?
in a way of avoiding unwanted info from ourselves and the outside world
Who worked on defence mechanism research?
Freud’s daughter Anna Freud
4 examples of defence mechanisms?
- Repression
- projection
- denial
- Displacement
What is repression?
When an individual keeps anxiety provoking thoughts out of their conscious awareness possibly as a way of coping
What is Projection?
Involves attributing one’s own unconscious motives on to another person or situation
-For example a person who has not come to terms with their own sexual drives may come to believe that other people engage in strange sexual practices
What is denial?
When the individual does not acknowledge the existence of a threat
What is displacement ?
when an individual directs thoughts and feelings from something which causes anxiety to a safer more acceptable one for example being annoyed with your teacher and taking it out on a friend
