Ego Defenses

Question 1

Acting Out

Answer 1

Expressing unacceptable feelings and thoughts through actions
Example: tantrum

Question 2

Denial

Answer 2

Avoiding awareness of some painful reality

example: a patient with cancer plans a full-time work schedule despite being warned of significant fatigue w/ chemo.

Question 3

Displacement

Answer 3

Redirection of emotions or impulses to a neutral person or object
example: a teacher is yelled at by the principal. Instead of confronting the principal, the teacher goes home and criticizes her husband’s dinner.

Question 4

Dissociation

Answer 4

temporary, drastic change in personality, memory, consciousness, or motor behavior to avoid emotional stress.

Example: a victim of sexual abuse suddenly appears numb and detached when she is exposed to her abuser.

Question 5

Fixation

Answer 5

Partially remaining at a more childish level of development

Example: a surgeon throws a tantrum in the operating room because the last case ran late.

Question 6

Idealization

Answer 6

expressing extremely positive thoughts of self and others while ignoring negative thoughts.
Example: a patients boasts about his physician and his accomplishments while ignoring flaws.

Question 7

identification

Answer 7

Largely unconscious assumption of the characteristics, qualities, or traits of another person or group.
Example: a resident starts putting his stethoscope in his pocket like his favorite attending, instead of wearing it around his neck.

Question 8

Intellectualization

Answer 8

using facts and logic to emotionally distance oneself from a stressful situation.
Example: in a therapy session, patient diagnoses with cancer focuses only on survival rates.

Question 9

Isolation of affect

Answer 9

separating feelings from ideas and events.

Example: describing a murder in graphic detail with no emotional response.

Question 10

Passive aggression

Answer 10

demonstrating hostile feelings in a non confrontational manner.
Example: disgruntled employee is repeatedly late to work, but won’t admit it is a way to get back at the manager.

Question 11

projection

Answer 11

attributing an unacceptable internal impulse to an external source.

Example: a man who wants to cheat on his wife accuses her of being unfaithful

Question 12

Rationalization

Answer 12

Proclaiming logical reasons for actions actually performed for other reasons, usually avoid self-blame
Example: after getting fired, claiming that the job was not important anyway.

Question 13

Reaction Formation

Answer 13

replacing a warded-off idea or feeling by an (unconsciously derived) emphasis on its opposite (vs sublimation).

Question 14

Regression

Answer 14

Involuntary turning back the maturational clock and going back to earlier modes of dealing w. the world (fixation)
Example: Child gets sick–>wets the bed again

Question 15

Repression

Answer 15

Involuntary withholding an idea or feeling from conscious awareness
example: 20 year old does not remember going to therapy 10 years prior during his parents’ divorce.

Question 16

Splitting

Answer 16

Believing that people are either all good or all bad at different times due to intolerance or ambiguity. Commonly seen in borderline personality disorder.
Example: a pt says that all nurses are cold and insensitive but that doctors are warm and friendly.

Question 17

Sublimation

Answer 17

Replacing an unacceptable wish with a course of action that is similar to the wish but does not conflict with one’s value system.
Example: teenager’s aggression toward Dad is redirected toward sports.

Question 18

Altruism

Answer 18

Alleviating negative feelings via unsolicited generosity

example: mafia boss makes large donation to charity

Question 19

Suppression

Answer 19

intentionally withholding an idea or feeling from conscious awareness
Example: Choosing not to worry about the big game until its time to play

Question 20

Humor

Answer 20

Appreciating the amusing nature of an anxiety-provoking or adverse situation
Example: nervous medical students jokes about the boards.