Defense Mechanisms Flashcards
Repression
Traumatic events and undesirable thoughts are buried in the unconscious
Altruism
Altruism refers to behavior that benefits another individual at a cost to oneself.
For example, giving your lunch away is altruistic because it helps someone who is hungry, but at a cost of being hungry yourself.
Humor
Uncomfortable feelings are expressed in a humorous method
Sublimation
A mature type of defense mechanism, in which socially unacceptable impulses or idealizations are transformed into socially acceptable actions or behavior.
Example: a person hits a punching bag to discharge anger.
Suppression
Unacceptable feelings are not dealt with
Acting Out
Performing an extreme behavior in order to express thoughts or feelings the person feels incapable of otherwise expressing.
For example, instead of saying, “I’m angry with you,” a person who acts out may instead throw a book at the person, or punch a hole through a wall.
Splitting
A psychological mechanism that allows the person to tolerate difficult and overwhelming emotions by seeing someone as either good or bad, idealized or devalued.
Some might say that a person who splits sees the world in terms of black or white — all or nothing
Regression
Individual returns to an earlier developmental stage as a defense mechanism
Denial
Refusing to accept reality
Rationalization
Converting an unacceptable outcome into a reasonable explanation
Reaction Formation
A defense mechanism in which people express the opposite of their true feelings, sometimes to an exaggerated extent.
For example, a man who feels insecure about his masculinity might act overly aggressive. A woman with substance use disorder may extol the virtues of abstinence.
Projection
Attributing unacceptable feelings to others
Displacement
Transferring one’s emotional burden or emotional reaction from one entity to another.
Example: someone who has a stressful day at work and then lashes out against their family at home.
Identification
The process whereby an individual becomes like another person in one or several respects. This is a more elaborate process than introjection.
Intellectualization
Thinking rather than feeling
Dissociation
Removing one’s self from emotions
Undoing
Undoing is a defense mechanism in which a person tries to cancel out or remove an unhealthy, destructive or otherwise threatening thought or action by engaging in contrary behavior.
For example, after thinking about being violent with someone, one would then be overly nice or accommodating to them.
Depersonalization
Feelings of detachment from self
Derealization
Feelings of unreality
Compensation
Refers to a type of defense mechanism in which people overachieve in one area to compensate for failures in another.
For example, individuals with poor family lives may direct their energy into excelling above and beyond what is required at work.
Conversion
The development of physical symptoms that cannot be explained by pathophysiology or physical injury.
This defense mechanism is recognized in conversion disorder, also known as functional neurologic symptom disorder.
Association
Obtaining gratification through association with and helping another person who is gratifying the same instincts.
Introjection
Introjection, one of many defense mechanisms posited by Sigmund Freud, occurs when a person internalizes the ideas or voices of other people. This behavior is commonly associated with the internalization of external authority, particularly that of parents.
Inversion
Refocusing of aggression or emotions evoked from an external force onto one’s self.
Opposite of displacement.
This is operative especially in depression and masochism.
Isolation of affect
Avoiding the experience of an emotion associated with a person, idea, or situation.
Intellectualizing
This defense mechanism may be present in someone who describes the day their house burnt down in a factual way without displaying any emotion.
Reversal
This defense mechanism involves a switch from one behavior to its opposite.
For example, when masochism is replaced by sadism.
Substitution
The substitution of one emotion for another. For example, rage used to mask fear.
Identification with the aggressor
Involves the victim adopting the behavior of a person who is more powerful and hostile toward them.
For example, a child who is bullied is able to transform himself from the person threatened to the person who makes the threat.
