defense mechanisms (329 E3) Flashcards
defense mechanisms
-automatic coping styles
-protect people from anxiety
-enable individual to maintain self image by blocking: feelings, conflicts, memories
-can be healthy or unhealthy
-not always apparent to the individual using them
alturism
a largely unconscious motivation to feel caring and concern for others and act for the well-being of others
ex: A woman anonymously donates to her colleague’s GoFundMe campaign
ex: A neighbor compulsively rescues cats and kittens to the detriment of the animals’ and his own health and safety
compensation
used to counterbalance perceived deficiencies by emphasizing strengths
ex: A shorter-than-average man becomes assertively verbal and excels in business
ex: A woman drinks alcohol when her self-esteem is low to temporarily ease her discomfort
conversion
the unconscious transformation of anxiety into a physical symptom with no organic cause
ex: A man becomes blind after seeing his wife enter a hotel room with another man
denial
involves escaping unpleasant, anxiety-causing thoughts, feelings, wishes, or needs by ignoring their existence
ex: A man reacts to the death of a loved one by saying, “No, I don’t believe you,” to initially protect himself from the overwhelming news
ex: A woman whose husband died 3 years earlier still keeps his clothes in the closet and talks about him in the present tense
displacement
the transference of emotions associated with a particular person, object, or situation to another nonthreatening person, object, or situation
ex: A child yells at his teddy bear after being picked on by the school bully
ex: A child who is unable to acknowledge fear of his father becomes fearful of animal
dissociation
a disruption in consciousness, memory, identity, or perception of the environment that results in compartmentalizing uncomfortable or unpleasant aspects of oneself
ex: An art student is able to mentally separate herself from a noisy environment as she becomes absorbed in her work
ex: As the result of an abusive childhood and the need to separate from its realities, a woman finds herself perpetually disconnected from reality
identification
attributing to oneself the characteristics of another person or group. This may be done consciously or unconsciously
ex: An 8-year-old girl dresses up like her teacher and puts together a pretend classroom for her friends
ex: A boy dresses and talks like a neighborhood drug dealer and starts his own “gang
intellectualization
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: Despite having lost his farm to a tornado, a man analyzes his options and leads his child to safety
ex: A man responds to the death of his wife by focusing on the details of day care and operating the household rather than processing the grief with his children
projection
refers to the unconscious rejection of emotionally unacceptable features and attributing them to others
ex: A woman who has repressed an attraction toward other women refuses to socialize. She fears that another woman will come on to her
reaction
formation is when unacceptable feelings or behaviors are controlled and kept out of awareness by developing the opposite emotion or behavior
ex: a recovering alcoholic constantly talks about the evils of drinking
ex: A woman who has an unconscious hostility toward her daughter is overprotective and hovers over her to protect her from harm, interfering with her normal growth and development
rationalization
consists of justifying illogical or unreasonable ideas, actions, or feelings by developing acceptable explanations that satisfy the teller and the listener
ex: An employee says, “I didn’t get the raise because the boss doesn’t like me.”
ex: A man who believes that his son was fathered by another man excuses his harsh treatment of the boy by saying, “He is lazy and doesn’t listen to me,” when that is not true.
regression
reverting to an earlier, more primitive and childlike pattern of behavior that may or may not have been exhibited previously
ex: A 4-year-old boy with a new baby brother temporarily starts sucking his thumb and asking for a baby bottle
ex: A man who loses a promotion starts complaining to others, hands in sloppy work, misses appointments, and comes in late for meetings
repression
an unconscious exclusion of unpleasant or unwanted experiences, emotions, or ideas from conscious awareness
ex: After a marital fight, a man forgets his spouse’s birthday
ex: A woman is unable to enjoy sex after having pushed out of awareness a traumatic sexual incident from childhood
splitting
the inability to integrate the positive and negative qualities of oneself or others into a cohesive image
ex: A 26-year-old woman initially values her acquaintances yet invariably becomes disillusioned when they turn out to have flaw
sublimation
an unconscious process of transforming negative impulses into less damaging and even productive impulses
ex: A woman who is angry with her boss channels her feelings into housework until her house is sparkling clean
suppression
the conscious decision to delay addressing a disturbing situation or feeling. For example, Jessica has studied for the state board examination for a week. She says, “I won’t worry about paying my rent until after my exam tomorrow.”
ex: A businessman who is preparing to make an important speech is told by his wife that morning that she wants a divorce. Although visibly upset, he puts the incident aside until after his speech, when he can give the matter his total attention
ex: A woman who feels a lump in her breast shortly before leaving for a 3-week vacation puts the information in the back of her mind until after she returns from her vacation
undoing
when a person makes up for a regrettable act or communication
ex: After flirting with her male secretary, a woman brings her husband tickets to a concert he wants to see
ex: A man with rigid, moralistic beliefs and repressed sexuality is driven to wash his hands to gain composure when he is around attractive women
use of defense mechanisms: adaptive
Problem-solving
Talking
Crying
Sleeping
Exercising
Deep breathing
Imagery
Relaxation
use of defense mechanisms: maladaptive
Blaming
Negative self-talk
Obsessive-compulsive behaviors
Aggressive acting-out behaviors
Withdrawal
Excessive eating, drinking, spending, gambling, drug use, sexual activity
