Defense Mechanisms Flashcards
compensation
enables one to make up for real or fancied deficiencies (ie. person who stutters becomes a very expressive writer)
Conversion
Repressed urge is expressed as a disturbance of body function (ie. pain, deafness, blindness, convulsions, tics)
decompensation
deterioration of existing defenses
devaluation
Used by personality disorder; person attributes exaggerated negative qualities to self or another. Split of primitive idealization
dissociation
process that enables a person to split mental functions in a manner that allows them to express forbidden or unconscious impulses without taking responsibility for the action, either b/c they are unable to remember the disowned behaviour, or b/c it is not experienced as his or her own
displacement
directing impulse or feeling toward another, thus permitting expression less threatening (man angry at boss, kicks his dog)
idealization
overestimation of an admired aspect of attribute of another
identification
universal mechanism whereby a person patterns him/herself after a significant other. Major role is personality development (superego)
identification with aggressor
mastering anxiety by identifying with a powerful aggressor to counteract feelings of helpless and feel powerful (abusing others after being abused)
incorporation
primitive mechanism in which psychic representation of a person is (or parts of a person are) figuratively ingested
inhibition
loss of motivation to engage in (usually pleasurable) actively avoided b/c it might stir up conflict over forbidden impulses (ie. writing, learning, or work block or social shyness)
Introjection
loved or hated external objects symbolically absorbed within self
intellectualization
person avoids uncomfortable emotions by focusing on facts and logic. Emotional aspects are completely ignored as being irrelevant. Jargon used as a device of intellectualization
isolation of affect
unacceptable impulse, idea, or act separated from its original memory source; therefore removing original emotional charge associated with it
projection
primitive defense; attributing one’s disowned attitudes, wishes, feelings and urges to some external object or person
projection identification
projection used by personality disorder - unconsciously perceiving others behavious as a reflection of one’s own identity
reaction formation
person adopts affects, ideas, attitudes, or behaviours that are opposite of those h/she harbours consciously or unconsciously
regression
partial or symbolic return to infantile patterers of acting or thinking
repression
key mechanism; expressed clinically by amnesia or symptomatic forgetting serving to banish unacceptable ideas, fantasies, affects, or impulses from consciousness
splitting
associated with borderline personality disorder in which a person perceives self and others as “all good” or “all bad.” Splitting serves to protect good objects. A person cannot integrate the good and bad in people
sublimation
potentially maladaptive feelings or behaviours are diverted into socially acceptable, adaptive channels (ie person who is angry channels into athletics)
substitution
unattainable or unacceptable goal, emotion, or object replaced by one or more attainable or acceptable
symbolization
mental representation stands for some other thing, class, of things or attribute. Mechanism underlies dream formation and some other symptoms (such as conversion reactions, obsessions, compulsions) with a link between latent meaning of the symptom and the symbol; usually unconscious
turning against self
defense to deflect hostile aggression or other unacceptable impulses from another to self
doing
a person uses words or action to symbolically reverse or negate unacceptable thoughts, feelings, or actions (ie. person compulsively washing hands to deal with obsessive thoughts)
