Defense Mechanisms Flashcards
Acting Out
dealing with emotional conflict through actions
Compensation
making up for one’s own “deficiencies”
Conversion
repressed feelings are expressed/disguised as a disturbance in bodily function (ie. pain, twitches, convulsions)
Decompensation
deterioration of existing defenses
Denial
inability to acknowledge true feelings of thoughts behaviors, etc. that are consciously intolerable
Devaluation
when a person attributes exaggerated negative qualities onto oneself or another
Dissociation
when a person splits mental functions to express an unconscious or forbidden impulse; does not take responsibility for the action
Displacement
directing an impulse, wish or feelings toward a situation that is not it’s real object
Idealization
overestimation of an admired aspect or attribute of another
Identification
when a person “patterns” or copies after a significant other
Identification with the agressor
deals with anxiety by behaving or acting like the aggressor
Incorporation
primitive mechanism in which psychic representation of a person is (or parts of a person are) figuratively ingested
Inhibition
loss of motivation to to engage in an activity that was once pleasurable because it brings up unpleasant thoughts.
Intellectualization
where the person avoids uncomfortable emotions by focusing on facts and logic
Isolation of Affect
unacceptable impulse, idea, or act is separated
Projection
attributing one’s disowned attitudes, wishes, feelings and urges on to some external object or person
Projective Identification
unconsciously perceiving the behavior of others as a reflection of one’s own identity. Typically seen with borderline personality disorder.
Rationalization
giving believable explanation for irrational behavior
Reaction Formation
person adopts affects, ideas, attitudes, or behaviors that are opposite of those her or she harbors consciously or unconsciously.
Regression
partial or symbolic return to more infantile patterns of reacting or thinking.
Repression
symptomatic forgetting of serving to banish unacceptable ideas from the conscious mind
Splitting
person perceives self and others as “all good” or “all bad”; associated with borderline personality disorder.
Sublimation
when potentially dysfunctional feelings or behaviors are diverted in socially acceptable behaviors. (ie. someone with a lot of anger channels them into athletics)
Substitution
unattainable/unacceptable goal, emotion or object is replaced by one that is more attainable or acceptable
Symbolization
a mental representation of something
Turning against the self
defense to deflect hostile aggression from another to self
Undoing
a person uses words or actions to symbolically reverse or negate unacceptable thoughts feelings or actions
