Defense Mechanisms Flashcards
Altruism
A largely unconscious motivation to feel caring and concern for others and act for the well-being of others
ex. anonymously donating to a go fund me; compulsively adopting cats you can’t care for
Compensation
Used to counterbalance perceived deficiencies by emphasizing strengths
ex. short man is becomes good at business; drinking alcohol when you feel bad to make yourself feel better
Conversion
The unconscious transformation of anxiety into a physical symptom with no organic cause
ex. (no adaptive examples); man becomes blind after watching his wife cheat on him
Denial
Escaping unpleasant, anxiety causing thoughts, feelings, wishes, or needs by ignoring their existence
ex. saying “I don’t believe you” when told that someone you love dies; a woman whose husband died 3 years ago talks about him in present tense and still keeps his clothes in the closet
Displacement
The transference of emotions associated with a particular person, object, or situation to another, non-threatening person, object, or situation
ex. bullied kid yells at his teddy bear; child who fear his father becomes afraid of animals
Dissociation
A disruption in consciousness, memory, identity, or perception of the environment that results in compartmentalizing uncomfortable or unpleasant aspect of oneself
ex. art student ignores busy room to concentrate on her art; feeling disconnected from reality in order to avoid feeling a certain way
Identification
Attributing to oneself the characteristics of another person or group. This may be done conciously or unconciously
ex. child dresses up like her teacher and pretends to teach a class; boy dresses and talks like the neighborhood drug dealer and starts his own gang
Intelectualization
A process in which events are analyzed based on remote, cold, facts and without passion rather than incorporating feeling and emotion into the processing
ex. farmer who lost land to a tornado analyzes options for his family’s safety; a man talks about his cancer like a textbook
Projection
The unconscious rejection of emotionally unacceptable features and attributing them to others
ex. (no adaptive example); A person who is ashamed of cheating on their spouse accuses them of cheating on her
Rationalization
Justifying illogical or unreasonable ideas, actions, or feelings by developing acceptable explanations that satisfy the teller and the listener
ex. “I didn’t get a raise because the boss doesn’t like me.”; talking bad about someone you don’t like and trying to justify it by saying they are a bad person when they are not
Reaction Formation
Unacceptable feelings or behaviors are controlled and kept out of awareness by developing the opposite emotion or behavior
ex. recovering alcoholic talks about the evils of drinking; a woman who hates her daughter becomes overprotective and interferes with her growth and development
Regression
Reverting to an earlier, more primitive or childlike pattern of behavior that may or may not have been exhibited previously
ex. a kid with a new baby brother starts sucking his thumb and asking for a bottle; a man who loses a promotion starts sucking his thumb and asking for a bottle
Repression
An unconcious exclusion of unpleasant or unwanted experiences, emotions, or ideas from conscious awareness.
ex. After a fight, a man forgets his spouse’s birthday; a woman who was sexually assaulted as a child pushes away those memories but is unable to enjoy sex as an adult
Splitting
The inability to integrate the positive and negative qualities of oneself or others into a cohesive image
ex. (no adaptive examples); Believing that someone is perfect and then becoming very upset when you realize the person has flaws
Sublimation
An unconscious process of transforming negative impulses into less damaging and even productive impulses
ex. A man who likes to inflict pain on people becomes a dentist; (no maladaptive example)
