EGO DEFENSES

Question 1

defense mechanisms

Answer 1

automatic, involuntary, unconscious ways to keep unacceptable thoughts and impulses from awareness and avoid disapproval

Question 2

acting out

Answer 2

emotional conflict dealt with through actions rather than feelings

Question 3

compensation

Answer 3

one makes up for real or perceived deficiencies

Question 4

conversion

Answer 4

repressed urge expressed as a body function disturbance

Question 5

decompensation

Answer 5

existing defenses deteriorate

Question 6

denial

Answer 6

primitive defense, inability to acknowledge true significant of stressors

Question 7

devaluation

Answer 7

attributes exaggerated negative qualities to self/others, split of primitive idealization (borderline)

Question 8

displacement

Answer 8

directing impulse, wish, feeling toward something as replacement for real object, permitting expression in less threatening situation

Question 9

dissociation

Answer 9

process that person splits mental function to express unconscious impulses without taking responsibility; either doesn’t remember or experience as his own

Question 10

idealization

Answer 10

overestimation of admired aspect or attribute of another (conscious or unconscious)

Question 11

identification

Answer 11

pattern self after a significant other, big role in development of super ego

Question 12

identification with aggressor

Answer 12

master anxiety by identifying with powerful aggressor to counteract helplessness and feel powerful; behave like aggressor

Question 13

incorporation

Answer 13

primitive, pyschic representation of a person (or parts of a person) are figuratively ingested

Question 14

inhibition

Answer 14

loss of motivation to engage in activity that is avoided because it might stir up conflict over forbidden impulses

Question 15

introjection

Answer 15

loved or hated external objects absorbed within self

Question 16

isolation of affect

Answer 16

unacceptable impulse, idea, or act separated from original memory source, removing emotional charge

Question 17

projection

Answer 17

primitive, attributes disowned attitude, wish, feeling, urges to external object

Question 18

projection identification

Answer 18

unconsciously perceiving others behavior as reflection of one’s own identity (borderline)

Question 19

rationalization

Answer 19

unconscious, believable explanation for irrational behavior motivated by unacceptable unconscious wishes or by defenses to cope

Question 20

reaction formation

Answer 20

person adopts affects, ideas, attitudes or behaviors that are opposite of those harbored unconsciously or consciously

Question 21

regression

Answer 21

part or symbolic return to infantile reacting patterns or thinking; serve ego

Question 22

repression

Answer 22

key mechanism, amnesia, symptomatic forgetting

Question 23

splitting

Answer 23

self or others perceives as all good or all bad; things of opposite quality kept apart (borderline)
ego weakness that can’t neutralize aggression, lack of impulse control, can’t integrate good and bad in people

Question 24

sublimation

Answer 24

potentially maladaptive feelings or behaviors diverted into socially acceptable or adaptive channels

Question 25

substitution

Answer 25

replace unattainable or unacceptable goal, emotion, object with more attainable or acceptable one

Question 26

symbolization

Answer 26

mental representation stands for other thing; mechanism that underlines dream formation and other symptoms with link to latent symptoms meaning and symbols; unconscious

Question 27

turning against self

Answer 27

defense to deflect hostile aggression or other unacceptable impulses from other to self

Question 28

undoing

Answer 28

words or actions used to symbolically reverse or negate unacceptable thoughts, feelings, actions