Defense Mechanisms and Coping Flashcards
Problem:
Defense mechanisms are (internal/external) whereas coping mechanisms are (internal/external).
Defense mechanisms = internal (processed internally)
Coping mechanisms = external (processed externally)
Nature
Under defense mechanisms, they are _____ whereas under coping mechanisms, they are _____.
Defense mechanisms = mechanical (arise from some mechanisms that you may not know about)
Ex: like a thermostat; click on and off unconsciously
Coping mechanisms = deliberate (resources that you are actually aware of); you make decisions on how you will cope
Defense mechanisms are (unconscious/conscious) whereas coping mechanisms are (unconscious/conscious).
Defense mechanisms = unconscious
Coping mechanisms = conscious
Problem resolution
Under defense mechanisms, reality is…
Distorted. It tricks us into seeing things from seeing the truth of how bad things really are
Problem resolution
Under coping mechanisms, there is a variety of techniques used to cope with a problem. What are they?
Problem-focused: look for a solution
Emotion-focused: partake in activity to feel better
Support-seeking: seek support from others
What was the 1966 Lazarus study used for?
It was a sub-incision ritual in which the professor showed students a film that depicted gore (tribe circumcised a boy when he reached a certain age). The study was used to see how students used defense mechanisms during and after watching the film.
What did the 1966 Lazarus study show?
When the film was shown to three groups of people (denial; intellectualization; no sound), the study showed that people who were in denial showed low levels of stress after watching the film, and people who used intellectualization to rationalize the film scenes showed high levels of stress. However, a few weeks after the film was shown, people who were in denial showed high amounts of stress while people who used intellectualization showed low amounts of stress.
What was Vaillant’s 1976 study used for?
It studied 95 healthy men who had graduated from an Ivy League, and was used to see the correlation between health and pessimism.
What did Vaillant’s 1976 study show?
Men who used immature defenses (for example, denial) showed significantly greater chance of physical and mental problems.
Men who used mature defenses (for example, sublimation) showed more effectiveness in handling life stressors.
Does coping work?
Yes, but it depends on:
1) type of defense
2) timing
3) type of person (what their preferred mechanism is)
What was the 1984 Lazarus and Folkman study used for?
It was a study that took place over 45 years, and included 100 men and women who were required to keep a journal and record their life events daily (whether big or small). It was used to see how they coped with their stressors.
What are the types of coping?
Problem-focused: analytical
- Ex: trying to improve after receiving a bad midterm grade
Emotion-focused: feeling
- Ex: avoiding the stress of a midterm deliberately (shopping, drinking, etc.)
What did the 1984 Amirkhan do?
It was a study that required 1000 randomly sampled participants to fill out questionnaires (which had questions about stressors and coping/defense mechanisms). The psychologists looked for clusters within the questionnaire–for example, if someone answered “yes” to the question “do you feel sad,” they would have likely answered “yes” to “do you feel hopeless? are you experiencing lack of sleep? do you cry a lot?” which all point to depression.
True or false: people can seek social support to either 1) try to find a solution to a problem or 2) distract themselves from the problem. However, social support seeking is distinct from problem-solving and avoidance.
True
To understand individual differences in coping mechanisms, psychoanalysts will ask…
“Who?” “Which coping mechanism (problem-solving/social support/avoidance) works best for the individual?”
