Defense Mechanisms

Question 1

Acting Out

Answer 1

dealing with emotional conflict through actions

Question 2

Compensation

Answer 2

making up for one’s own “deficiencies”

Question 3

Conversion

Answer 3

repressed feelings are expressed/disguised as a disturbance in bodily function (ie. pain, twitches, convulsions)

Question 4

Decompensation

Answer 4

deterioration of existing defenses

Question 5

Denial

Answer 5

inability to acknowledge true feelings of thoughts behaviors, etc. that are consciously intolerable

Question 6

Devaluation

Answer 6

when a person attributes exaggerated negative qualities onto oneself or another

Question 7

Dissociation

Answer 7

when a person splits mental functions to express an unconscious or forbidden impulse; does not take responsibility for the action

Question 8

Displacement

Answer 8

directing an impulse, wish or feelings toward a situation that is not it’s real object

Question 9

Idealization

Answer 9

overestimation of an admired aspect or attribute of another

Question 10

Identification

Answer 10

when a person “patterns” or copies after a significant other

Question 11

Identification with the agressor

Answer 11

deals with anxiety by behaving or acting like the aggressor

Question 12

Incorporation

Answer 12

primitive mechanism in which psychic representation of a person is (or parts of a person are) figuratively ingested

Question 13

Inhibition

Answer 13

loss of motivation to to engage in an activity that was once pleasurable because it brings up unpleasant thoughts.

Question 14

Intellectualization

Answer 14

where the person avoids uncomfortable emotions by focusing on facts and logic

Question 15

Isolation of Affect

Answer 15

unacceptable impulse, idea, or act is separated

Question 16

Projection

Answer 16

attributing one’s disowned attitudes, wishes, feelings and urges on to some external object or person

Question 17

Projective Identification

Answer 17

unconsciously perceiving the behavior of others as a reflection of one’s own identity. Typically seen with borderline personality disorder.

Question 18

Rationalization

Answer 18

giving believable explanation for irrational behavior

Question 19

Reaction Formation

Answer 19

person adopts affects, ideas, attitudes, or behaviors that are opposite of those her or she harbors consciously or unconsciously.

Question 20

Regression

Answer 20

partial or symbolic return to more infantile patterns of reacting or thinking.

Question 21

Repression

Answer 21

symptomatic forgetting of serving to banish unacceptable ideas from the conscious mind

Question 22

Splitting

Answer 22

person perceives self and others as “all good” or “all bad”; associated with borderline personality disorder.

Question 23

Sublimation

Answer 23

when potentially dysfunctional feelings or behaviors are diverted in socially acceptable behaviors. (ie. someone with a lot of anger channels them into athletics)

Question 24

Substitution

Answer 24

unattainable/unacceptable goal, emotion or object is replaced by one that is more attainable or acceptable

Question 25

Symbolization

Answer 25

a mental representation of something

Question 26

Turning against the self

Answer 26

defense to deflect hostile aggression from another to self

Question 27

Undoing

Answer 27

a person uses words or actions to symbolically reverse or negate unacceptable thoughts feelings or actions