Extra: Freud's Defence Mechanisms

Question 1

Repression

Answer 1

Threatening or painful thoughts and feelings are excluded from conscious
awareness (e.g., a survivor of serious car accident has no recollection of the
details of the accident).

Question 2

Denial

Answer 2

“Closing one’s eyes” to the existence of a threatening aspect of reality (e.g.,
dismissing a potentially serious physical symptom as being unimportant).

Question 3

Reaction formation

Answer 3

Actively expressing the opposite impulse when confronted with a threatening
impulse (e.g., a mother who had an unwanted pregnancy became
overprotective of the child later on).

Question 4

Projection

Answer 4

Attributing to others one’s own unacceptable desires and impulses (e.g., the
idea of hating someone may not be acceptable to your superego, however, you
can solve the conflict by believing that they hate you).

Question 5

Displacement

Answer 5

Directing energy toward another object or person when the original object or
person is inaccessible (e.g., being yelled at by your boss, then coming home
and taking it out on your partner).

Question 6

Rationalisation

Answer 6

Manufacturing ‘good’ reasons to explain away a bruised ego (e.g., justify
cheating on your taxes by convincing yourself that everyone does it, so it’s not
really cheating).

Question 7

Sublimation

Answer 7

Diverting sexual or aggressive energy into other channels (e.g., unleashing pent
up aggression by playing field hockey or football).

Question 8

Regression

Answer 8

Going back to an earlier phase of development when there were fewer
demands by reverting to immature patterns of behaviour (e.g., children who
are frightened in school may engage in infantile behaviour such as weeping,
excessive dependence, thumb-sucking, hiding, or clinging to the teacher).

Question 9

Introjection

Answer 9

Taking in and ‘swallowing’ the values and standards of others (e.g., hostages
suffering from Stockholm syndrome might identify with their captors’ values
and behaviours).

Question 10

Identification

Answer 10

Identifying with successful causes, organisations, or people in the hope that
you will be perceived as worthwhile (e.g., a person who feels inferior person
joining a social club to boost their self-esteem).

Question 11

Compensation

Answer 11

Masking perceived weaknesses or developing certain positive traits to make
up for limitations.