Defense Mechanisms Flashcards
Repression
Painful feelings are conscious initially and then forgotten, but return occasionally. Repression can range from momentary memory lapses to forgetting the details of said event, such as murder or an earthquake.
i.e. Repressing the memory of a bad car accident or death of a loved one
Denial
Unpleasant reality is ignored, and a realistic interpretation of potentially threatening events are replaced by benign but inaccurate ones.
i.e. A child whose parents have died will deny the idea that it is happening or that they are upset about it
Suppression
Unpleasant feelings are suppressed through a conscious effort to ignore them. It’s different from repression and denial because the memories/feelings are still available, just ignored.
i.e. Fears can be replaced by thinking of pleasant events or ideas.
Projection
In projection, undesirable feelings are attributed to another person or persons.
i.e. A person who is critical of others thinks that others are critical of them; insecurely thinking that their own problems are universal.
Displacement
Object displacement, anger, or another emotion is initially felt towards a person against whom it is unsafe to express it.
i.e. Taking out frustrations, feelings, and impulses on people or objects that are less threatening.
Reaction Formation
Involves behavior that is diametrically opposed (completely different) to the impulses or feelings that one is representing.
i.e. Treating an enemy in a nice and excessively friendly way in order to try and hide your true feelings.
Regression
When confronted by stressful events, people sometimes abandon coping strategies and revert to the patterns of behavior used when they were younger.
i.e. Adult throwing a tantrum.
Fixation
People with oral fixation have problems with drinking, smoking, and nail biting when they are experiencing stressful events.
i.e. Habits one falls into when stressed; tugging on ear, shuffling feet, rubbing ankle against calve, etc.
Identification
Taking on the characteristics of someone else.
i.e. Taking on the characteristics of someone important to you; parents, celebrities, fictional characters, etc.
Rationalization
An attempt to dent one’s true motives by using a realm that is more logical or socially acceptable than one’s own reasons.
i.e. Iscariot, believers yet not believers, heretics yet not heretics, etc.
Isolation
It involves compartmentalizing one’s experiences so that an event becomes separated from the feelings that associated with it, allowing it to be part of your conscious mind without the threat of painful feelings.
i.e. Not visibly reacting with grief when someone close to you dies.
Sublimation
Involves rechanneling the energy conned with an unacceptable impulse into one that is more socially acceptable.
i.e. Rechanneling aggressive tendencies into playing contact sports.
Compensation
Devoting unusual efforts to achievement in order to overcome feelings of inferiority.
i.e. A young person disabled physically and strives to become great mentally.
