ego defense mechanisms Flashcards
compensation
covering up a real or perceived weakness by emphasizing a trait one considers more desirable
ex: A physically disabled boy is unable to participate in football, so he compensates by becoming a great scholar
denial
refusing to acknowledge the existence of a real situation or the feelings associated with it
ex: a woman drinks alcohol every day, cannot stop and does not acknowledge she has a problem
displacement
the transfer of feelings from one target to another that is considered less threatening or that is neutral
ex: a client is angry at his doctor and does not express it but becomes verbally abusive with the nurse
identification
an attempt to increase self worth by acquiring certain attributes and characteristics of an individual one admires
ex: a teenager who required lengthy rehabilitation after an accident decides to become a PT as a result of his experiences
intellectualization
an attempt to avoid expressing actual emotions associated with a stressful situation by using the intellectual processes of logic, reasoning, and analysis
ex: Susan’s husband is being transferred with his job to a city far away from her parents. she hides anxiety by explaining to her parents the advantages associated with the move
introjection
integrating the beliefs and values of another individual into one’s own ego structure
ex: children integrate their parents’ value system into the process of conscience formation. a child says to a friend “don’t cheat. it’s wrong”
isolation
separating a thought or memory from the feeling, tone, or emotion associated with it
ex: a young woman describes being attacked and raped without showing any emotion
projection
attributing feelings or impulses unacceptable to one’s self to another person
ex: Sue feels a strong sexual attraction to her track coach and tells her friend “He’s coming on to me!”
rationalization
attempting to make excuses to formulate logical reasons to justify unacceptable feelings or behaviors
ex: John tells the rehab nurse “ I drink because it’s the only way I can deal with my bad marriage and my worse job”
reaction formation
preventing unacceptable or undesirable thoughts or behaviors from being expressed by exaggerating opposite thoughts or types of behaviors
ex: Jane hates nursing. she attended nursing school to please her parents. during career day she speaks to prospective students about the excellence of nursing as a career.
regression
responding to stress by retreating to an earlier level of development and the comfort measures associated with that level of functioning
ex: when 2-year-old Jack is hospitalized for tonsillitis, he will drink only from a bottle, although his mother states he has been drinking from a cup for 6 months
repression
involuntary blocking unpleasant feelings and experiences from one’s awareness
ex: a trauma victim is unable to remember anything about the traumatic event
sublimation
rechanneling of drives or impulses that are personally or socially unacceptable into activities that are constructive
ex: a mother whose son was killed by drunk driver channels her anger and energy into being the president of the local chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Drivers
suppression
the voluntary blocking of unpleasant feelings and experiences from one’s awareness
ex: Scarlett says “I don’t want to think about that now. I’ll think about that tomorrow”
undoing
symbolically negating or cancelling out an experience that one finds intolerable
ex: Joe is nervous about his new job and yells at his wife. On his way home, he stops and buys her some flowers
