Defense Mechanisms Flashcards
Plausible reasons justify an action or opinion; Helps the person cope by blaming external circumstances
Rationalization
After not getting a job he applied for, “I’ll be better off at a different company.”
Rationalization
After getting turned down for a date, she says, “That person is really snobby.”
Rationalization
An abused spouse hitting her children as “punishment” after being hit by her spouse
Rationalization
Alcoholics analogy
Rationalization
Restraint of a feeling; refuses to let into awareness unacceptable impulses but remains unconscious operant in behavior
Repression
Sexually attracted to the opposite sex but pushes away this intolerable thought from consciousness only to later dream about such sexual impulses
Repression
After years of celibacy, the person begins to eat copious amounts of food
Repression
A young boy has a phobia of dogs but cannot remember the first time he was afraid of them
Repression
Redirect negative emotion from the original source to a less threatening recipient; affect is transferred from one object to another
Displacement
A person compulsively eats lollipops after having quit smoking
Displacement
A person begins to compulsively wash her hands after being shamed for masturbating
Displacement
A man yells at his spouse because he is unable to express anger towards his boss
Displacement
Qualities of an external object are absorbed into one’s personality
Identification
A Bruce Lee fan becomes a disciplined martial art champion
Identification
A young person decides to follow in her father’s footsteps and becomes a lawyer
Identification
Content is separated from repressed affect; thinking is used to avoid feeling
Intellectualization
Speaking of a traumatic childhood as if reading a scripted story
Intellectualization
A victim of sexual assault researching factual PTSD criteria instead of addressing her emotional pain in therapy
Intellectualization
Rigor or self-denial; abstinence from pleasure/denial from anything good
Asceticism
An adult refuses to eat or sleep until a major work project is complete
Asceticism
An adolescent copes with sexual tension and desire by refusing to engage in all pleasurable activities
Asceticism
Unacceptable impulses are expressed as their opposites; behaves in the opposite way that he thinks/feels; helps release anxiety and guilt associated with the true impulse
Reaction Formation
An angry supervisee being overly nice to his supervisor
Reaction Formation
Opposite sex bullying
Reaction Formation
A parent with an unwanted child being overly protective
Reaction Formation
A man who is gay and openly dates women and criticizes gay men
Reaction Formation
The internalization of outside events or characteristics of other people
Introjection and Internalization
A victim who identifies with the aggressor’s behaviors to help protect himself
Introjection and Internalization
A person putting on her seat belt before driving away in her car
Introjection and Internalization
Places unacceptable feelings from the person feeling them onto another person
Projection
A highly anxious colleague complains about another colleague’s anxieties
Projection
A person complains that no one likes him but in reality he does not like himself or others
Projection
Distorts reality and does not acknowledge emotion; refusal to accept
Denial
A person continues to eat unhealthy foods despite his doctor’s orders to eat healthier
Denial
An alcoholic attends a recovery program but continues to drink alcohol
Denial
Displace/transform unacceptable instincts for constructive and socially acceptable behaviors
Sublimation
A person with major depression uses professional dance to help suicidal thoughts
Sublimation
A person with aggressive impulses becomes a kickboxing instructor
Sublimation
Avoid being punished for undesirable thoughts or actions
Undoing
A spouse unconsciously undoes his many adulterous acts by buying his partner lavish gifts
Undoing
A person is overly nice to a person she had just insulted in her mind
Undoing
