Table 15.2 Adaptive and Maladaptive Uses of Defense Mechanisms

Question 1

altruism

Answer 1

largely unconsious motivation to feel caring and concern for others and act for the well being of others

Question 2

a woman anonymously donates to her colleagues go fund me campaign

Answer 2

altruism
adaptive

Question 3

a neighbor compulsively rescues cats and kittens to the detriment of the animals and his own health and safety

Answer 3

altruism
maladaptive

Question 4

compensation

Answer 4

counterbalance perciveved deficiencies by empathizing strengths

Question 5

a shorter than average man becomes assertively verbal and excels in buisness

Answer 5

compensation
adaptive

Question 6

a woman drinks alcohol when feeling a low self esteem to temporarily ease her discomfort

Answer 6

compensation
maladaptive

Question 7

conversion

Answer 7

unconsious transformation of anxiety into a physical symptom with no organic cause

Question 8

a man becomes blind after seeing his wife enter a hotel room with another man

Answer 8

coversion
maladaptive

Question 9

denial

Answer 9

escaping unpleasant, anxiety causing thoughts, feelings, wishes, or needs by ignoring their existence

Question 10

a man reacts to the death of a loved one by saying “no I don’t believe you” to initially protect himself from the overwhelming news

Answer 10

denial
adaptive

Question 11

a woman whose husband died 3 years earlier still keels his clothes in the closet and talks about him in the present tense

Answer 11

denial
maladaptive

Question 12

displacement

Answer 12

transference of emotions associated with a particular person, objet, or situation to another nonthreatening person, object, or situation

Question 13

a child yells at his teddy bear after being picked on by the school bully

Answer 13

displacement
adaptive

Question 14

a child who is unable to acknowledge fear of his father becomes fearful of animals

Answer 14

displacement
maladaptive

Question 15

dissociation

Answer 15

disruption in consciousness, memory, identity, or perception of the environment that results in compartmentalizing uncomftorable or unpleasant aspects of oneself

Question 16

an art student is able to mentally separate herself from a noisy enviorment as she becomes absorbed in her work

Answer 16

dissociation
adaptive

Question 17

as the result of an abusive childhood and the need to separate from its realities, a woman finds herself perpetually disconnected from reality

Answer 17

dissociation
maladaptive

Question 18

identification

Answer 18

attributing to oneself the characteristic of another person or group. This may be done consciously or unconsciously

Question 19

an 8 year old girl dresses up like her teacher and puts together a pretend classroom for her friends

Answer 19

identification
adaptive

Question 20

a boy dresses and talks like the neighborhood drug dealer and starts his own gang

Answer 20

identification
maladaptive

Question 21

intellectualization

Answer 21

process in which events are analyzed based on remote, cold facts and without passion, rather than incorporating feeling and emotion into the processing

Question 22

despite having lost his farm to a tornado, a man analyzes his options and leads his child to safety

Answer 22

intellectualization
adaptive

Question 23

a man responds to the death of his wife by focusing on the details of day care and operating the household rather than processing the grief with his children

Answer 23

intellectualization
maladaptive

Question 24

projection

Answer 24

unconsious rejection of emotionally unacceptable features and attributing them to others

Question 25

a woman who has repressed an attraction toward other women refuses to socialize. she fears that another woman will come onto herq

Answer 25

projection
maladaptive

Question 26

rationalization

Answer 26

consist of justifying illogical or unreasonable ideas, actions, or feelings by developing acceptable explanations that satisfy the teller and the listener

Question 27

an employee says “I didn’t get the raise because the boss dosent like me”

Answer 27

rationalization
adaptive

Question 28

a man who believes that his son was fathered by another man excuses his harsh treatment of the boy by saying “he is lazy and doesn’t listen to me” when that is not true

Answer 28

rationalization
maladaptive

Question 29

reaction formation

Answer 29

when unacceptable feelings or behaviors are controlled and kept out of awareness by developing the opposite emotion or behavior

Question 30

a recovering alcoholic constantly talks about the evils of drinking

Answer 30

reaction formation
adaptive

Question 31

a woman who has an unconsious hostility toward her daughter is overprotective and hovers over her to protect her from harm, interfering with her normal growth and development

Answer 31

reaction formation
maladaptive

Question 32

regression

Answer 32

reverting to an ealier, more primitive and childlike pattern of behavior that may or may not have been exhibited previously

Question 33

a 4 year old boy with a new baby brother temporality starts sucking his thumb and asking for a bottle

Answer 33

regression
adaptive

Question 34

a man who loses a promotion starts complaining to others, hands in sloppy work, misses appointments and comes in late for meetings

Answer 34

regression
maladaptive

Question 35

repression

Answer 35

unconscious exclusion of unpleasant or unwanted experiences, emotions, or ideas from conscious awarness

Question 36

after a marital fight a man forgets his spouses birthday

Answer 36

repression
adaptive

Question 37

a woman is unable to enjoy sex after having pushed out of awareness a traumatic sexual incident from childhood

Answer 37

repression
maladaptive

Question 38

splitting

Answer 38

inability to integrate the positive and negative qualities of oneself or others into a cohesive image

Question 39

a 26 year old woman initially values her acquaintances yet invariably becomes disillusioned when they turn out to have flaws

Answer 39

splitting
maladaptive

Question 40

sublimation

Answer 40

unconsious process of transforming negative impulses into less damaging and even productive impulses

Question 41

a woman who is angry with her boss channels her feelings into housework until her house is sparkling clean

Answer 41

sublimination
adaptive

Question 42

supression

Answer 42

conscious decision to delay addressing a disturbing situation or feeling. For example, Jessica has studied for the state board exam for a week. She says “ I won’t worry about paying my rent until after my exam tomorrow

Question 43

a businessman who is preparing to make an important speech is told by his wife that morning that she wants a divorce. although visibly upset he puts the incident aside until after his speech when he can give the matter his total attention

Answer 43

suppression
adaptive

Question 44

a woman who feels a lump in her Brest shortly before leaving for a 3 week vacation puts the information in the back of her mind until after she returns from her vacation

Answer 44

supression
maladaptive

Question 45

undoing

Answer 45

person makes up for a regrettable act or communication

Question 46

after flirting with her male secretary, a woman brings her husband tickets to a concert he wants to see

Answer 46

undoing
adaptive

Question 47

a man with rigid, moralistic beliefs and repressed sexuality is driven to wash his hands to gain composure when he is around attractive women

Answer 47

undoing
maladaptive