Defense mechanisms

Question 1

Denial

Answer 1

refuses to acknowledge anxiety-provoking stimuli

ex. denial involves blocking external event from awareness. (ego protecting oneself)

Question 2

Projection

Answer 2

attributing ones anxiety provoking impulses or characteristics
ex. says someone is afraid of the dark, but they actually are afraid instead

Question 3

Repression

Answer 3

preventing painful thoughts from entering consciousness (motivated forgetting)
ex. An exam coming up, and forgetting about it the day of

Question 4

Regression

Answer 4

Protects the individual by returning to an earlier “softer” time of life
ex.Comfort zone (biting nails, etc), soothing/safe

Question 5

Reaction formation

Answer 5

preventing dangerous thoughts from being expressed by endorsing opposing attitudes
ex. couple breaks up: the one being dumped says horrible things about the other (abandoned, dumped, let go)

Question 6

Rationalization

Answer 6

creating logical explanations
ex. individual waited awhile for a job, wasn’t chosen after the interview “I didn’t want the job anyways”, “I need a computer so I do more work”

Question 7

Displacement

Answer 7

shifts one’s unconscious aggression or fears to a “safer “ target
ex. Boss or supervisor causes distress at work you take it to a safer target and take it out on your kids

Question 8

Sublimation

Answer 8

Dangerous urges are transformed into healthy, socially, acceptable actions and emotions (that benefits others)
ex. Thoughts, urges that transform into beneficial (i.e. A drug addiction that is transformed into a gym addiction

Question 9

Isolation

Answer 9

Separating the anxiety-arousing parts of a situation from the rest of the psyche. Little to no emotional reaction remains connected to the event.
Not about physical isolation