Defense Mechanisms

Question 1

What are defense mechanisms?

Answer 1

Automatic, unconscious, involuntary activities used by individuals to protect ego minimize pain and anxiety

Question 2

Enables person to split mental functions that allow them to express unconscious impulses without taking responsibility for actions

Answer 2

disassociation

Question 3

identifying with some idea or object so strongly that it becomes part of you; opposite of projection

Answer 3

introjection

Question 4

refocusing of aggression or emotion evoked from external force into self

Answer 4

inversion

Question 5

Directing a feeling toward a person or situation that is not the real cause ex. Man angry with his boss kicks a dog

Answer 5

displacement

Question 6

replacing some painful feeling with complete opposite ex. Black person joins KKK

Answer 6

reaction formation

Question 7

manifestation of emotional anxiety into physical feelings

Answer 7

somatization

Question 8

Events that are too painful are removed from conscious mind. Expressed clinically as amnesia or selective forgetting

Answer 8

repression

Question 9

Active refusal to recognize reality ex. Addict says it is not an an issue

Answer 9

denial

Question 10

Attributing one’s own disowned attitude to something else ex. Instead if saying I don’t like then you say they don’t like me

Answer 10

projection

Question 11

Clts make up for deficiencies ex. Short man becomes cocky

Answer 11

compensation

Question 12

Overestimation of an admired attribute of another

Answer 12

idealization

Question 13

Person patterns themselves after significant other

Answer 13

identification

Question 14

Loss of motivation to engage in pleasurable things because it might stir up conflict over forbidden impulses

Answer 14

inhibition

Question 15

Giving believable explanation for irrational behavior

Answer 15

rationalization

Question 16

Partial or symbolic return to more infantile patterns of reacting or thinking

Answer 16

regression

Question 17

Diverting maladaptive behavior into socially acceptable activity ex. Channeling anger in sports

Answer 17

sublimation

Question 18

Clt’s existing defenses deteriorate

Answer 18

decompensation

Question 19

Name three defense mechanisms associated with borderline personality disorder

Answer 19

Splitting - Perception of self or others is all good or all bad
Projective identification - unconsciously perceiving other’s behavior as a reflection of one’ own
Devaluation - attributing negative qualities to self or others

Question 20

What is the difference between defense mechanisms and coping strategies?

Answer 20

Coping = voluntary 
Defense = involuntary

Question 21

Clts will get into trouble to get attention instead of talking about issues

Answer 21

acting out

Question 22

Mastering anxiety by identifying with a powerful aggressor to counteract feelings of helplessness

Answer 22

identification with the aggressor

Question 23

clt avoids uncomfortable emotions by focusing on facts and logic

Answer 23

intellectualism

Question 24

Unacceptable impulse, idea, act is separated from its original memory source

Answer 24

isolation of affect

Question 25

Unattainable or unacceptable goal, emotion, or object is replaces by one more attainable

Answer 25

substitution

Question 26

Deflect hostile aggression or unacceptable impulses from another to self

Answer 26

Turning against self

Question 27

Using words or actions to symbolically reverse or negate unacceptable thoughts, feelings, or actions

Answer 27

undoing

Question 28

In this mechanism clts accept goal related outcomes perceived as less ideal because of beliefs that it is more realistics

Answer 28

aim inhibition