Defense Mechanisms

Question 1

What is a defense mechanism in the brain?

Answer 1

The ego’s ability to keep conflicts and unpleasurable thoughts out of the conscious mind to maintain normal equilibrium thoughts. However, can be a barrier to dealing with life situations/illness.

Question 2

What is transferance?

Answer 2

Using past experiences/relationships of a similar person to change the way you feel about someone in another one of your relationships.

Question 3

A man who has unconscious homosexual impulses begins to believe a male co-work is attracted to him? What mechanism?

Answer 3

Projection
- attributing one’s own personal feelings onto other people with paranoia and prejudice, since they do not accept their own feelings.

Question 4

If a man who lost an arm in an accident says it was good his lost his arm, because allowed him to find a path to his dream job. What defense mechanism?

Answer 4

Rationalism

- When distorting the perception of an event so that the negative outcome seems like it is more reasonable.

Question 5

When a woman who unconsciously is resentful of the responsbilities of raising children overspends on gifts and clothing for her children. What mechanism?

Answer 5

Reaction Formation
- Adopting opposing attitudes to avoid unacceptable thoughts or emotions – almost compensating for their unacceptable thoughts

Question 6

A patient tells the doctor that he and the other partners are wonderful, however all the nurses at the office are unfriendly and awful. What mechanism?

Answer 6

• Splitting

- categorizing people or situations into categories of extreme feelings towards them

Question 7

If a person who fought alot when younger goes on into professional fighting as an adult. What mechanism?

Answer 7

Sublimation –

- expressing unacceptable feelings into a socially acceptable way

Question 8

A women steal money from one of her friends, then afterwards returns the money and is compelled to drive her to and from work for months. What mechanism?

Answer 8

Undoing

- thinking that doing something good after doing something bad can correct the error

Question 9

What is the difference between transference and countertransference?

Answer 9

Transference – patients shift thoughts of someone else in their life to the doctor
Countertransference - the patient reminds the doctor of a friend and they are treated differently and can interfere with proper medical judgement

Question 10

If a patient idolizes the doctor and begins having sexual feelings for the doctor. Example of what?

Answer 10

Positive Transference

Question 11

If a patient becomes resentful and angry towards the doctor without knowing it due to the doctor reminding of them of a past unpleasant relationship.

Answer 11

Negative Transference

Question 12

What kind of defense mechanism. Years ago a patient was driving when his and his girl friend were involved in a car accident where she was killed. He does not recall the event.

Answer 12

Dissociation

- mentally seperating consciousness from real life events to distance self from painful events

Question 13

A person who had a critical and difficult math teacher when he was younger goes on to become a math teacher himself that is known as the hardest teacher in the school. What defense mechanism?

Answer 13

Identification

- patterning one’s behavior after that of someone that influenced them currently or in the past.

Question 14

As an airplane is going down about to crash into the ground, the pilot is able to calmly explain to airtraffic control what went wrong and what is happening in detail. What mechanism?

Answer 14

Intellectualization

- using higher functions to avoid experiencing emotion in the current or past situation

Question 15

While a father is explaining to his family the results of his prostate biopsy indicate it has metastasized and its inoperable without showing any emotion. What mechanism?

Answer 15

Isolation of Affect (maybe Intellectualization depending on scenario?)
- failing to experience emotion associated with a stressful event, but still understanding the seriousness of the event.

Question 16

What are the order of development of the Id, Ego, and Superego?

Answer 16

Id – birth, instinctive behaviors, primary processes
Ego – begins development at birth, external world adapation and defense mechanisms
Superego – begins to develop at 6, conscious

Question 17

If a man is angry at his wife, but does not consciously acknowledge it, but yells at his children more frequently. What mechanism?

Answer 17

Displacement

-moving emotions from a personally intolerable situation to another person or situation

Question 18

A 32 year old man unconsciously is attracted to his wife’s sister, but whenever his wife talks to other men he becomes very jealous.

Answer 18

Reaction Formation

Question 19

A 45 year old man who does not like flying, repeatedly states his love of airplanes.

Answer 19

Reaction Formation

- denies his fear of flying and embrases the opposite idea of loving airplanes

Question 20

What kind of disorder would most commonly be associated with identity disorder?

Answer 20

Dissociation

- parts of the consciousness is seperated from real life events

Question 21

A father is called at work that his son was severely injured and on the way to the hospital. Before he leaves he arranges a replacement to fulfill his work requirement. What mechanism?

Answer 21

Suppression – uses conscious defense mechanism to suppress his feelings temporarily

Question 22

A women who frequently bakes cookies for her father who is abusive towards her. What mechanism?

Answer 22

Reaction Formation

– opposite feelings and actions