Defense Mechanisms

Question 1

Acting out

Answer 1

Emotional conflict is dealt with actions rather than feelings. (instead of talking about feeling neglected a person will get in trouble to get attention)

Question 2

Compensation

Answer 2

Enables one to make up for real or fancied deficiencies (person who stutters becomes a very expressive writer, a short man assumes a cocky overbearing manner)

Question 3

Conversion

Answer 3

Repressed urge is expressed disguised as a disturbance of body function, usually a sensory, voluntary nervous system (physical symptoms)

Question 4

Decompensation

Answer 4

Deterioration of existing defenses

Question 5

Denial

Answer 5

Primitive defense. Inability to acknowledge true significance of thoughts, feelings, wishes, behavior, or external reality factors that are consciously intolerable.

Question 6

Devaluation

Answer 6

Common for bpd. Where a person attributes exaggerated negative qualities to self or another. The split of primitive idealization

Question 7

Dissociation

Answer 7

Enables of person to split mental functions in a matter, that allows them to express forbidden or unconscious impulses without taking responsibility for the action, either because they are unable to remember the disowned behavior or because it is not experienced as his or her own

Question 8

Displacement

Answer 8

Directing an impulse, wish, or feeling toward a person or situation that it is not its real object, thus permitting expression in the less threatening situation (angry at boss yell at wife)

Question 9

Idealization

Answer 9

Overestimation of an admired aspect or attribute of another (pedestal)

Question 10

Identification

Answer 10

Universal mechanism, whereby a person patterns themselves after a significant other.

Question 11

Incorporation

Answer 11

Primitive mechanism in which psychic representation of a person is figuratively ingested

Question 12

Inhibition

Answer 12

Loss of motivation to engage in (usually pleasurable) activity avoided because it might stir up conflict over impulses

Question 13

Introjection

Answer 13

Loved or hated external objects or symbolically absorb himself (opposite of projection)

Question 14

Intellectualization

Answer 14

Person avoids, uncomfortable emotions by focusing and logic. Emotional aspects are completely ignored as being. Focuses on words instead of emotions.

Question 15

Projection

Answer 15

Primitive defense. Attributing one’s disowned attitudes, wishes, feelings, and urges to some external project or person.

Question 16

Projective identification

Answer 16

Bpd. Unconsciously perceiving others behaviors as a reflection of one’s own identity.

Question 17

Rationalization

Answer 17

Third line of defense, not unconscious. Giving believable explanation for irrational behavior, motivated by unacceptable unconscious wishes, or by defenses used to cope with such wishes.

Question 18

Reaction formation

Answer 18

Person, adopts affects, ideas, attitudes, or behaviors that are opposites of those they harbor consciously or unconsciously

Question 19

Regression

Answer 19

Partial or symbolic, returned to more infantile patterns of reacting or thinking

Question 20

Repression

Answer 20

Key mechanism. Expressed clinically by amnesia or symptomatic, forgetting serving to banish unacceptable ideas, fantasies, affects or impulses from consciousness.

Question 21

Splitting

Answer 21

Bpd. Perceive self and others as all good or all bad splitting serves to protect the good objects. Cannot integrate the good and bad in people.

Question 22

Sublimation

Answer 22

Potentially maladaptive feelings or behaviors are diverted into socially acceptable, adaptive channels

Question 23

Substitution

Answer 23

Unattainable or unacceptable goal, emotion, or object is replaced by one that is more attainable or acceptable

Question 24

Undoing

Answer 24

Uses words or actions to symbolically, reverse or negate unacceptable thoughts, feelings, or actions.