Unit 3 Defense Mechanisms Chapter 15

Question 1

What is Altruism

Answer 1

Altruism is a largely unconscious motivation to feel caring and concern for others and act for the well-being of others.

Question 2

Altruism Examples

Answer 2

Adaptive
A woman anonymously donates to her colleague’s GoFundMe campaign.

Maladaptive
A neighbor compulsively rescues cats and kittens to the detriment of the animals’ and his own health and safety.

Question 3

What is Compensation

Answer 3

Compensation is used to counterbalance perceived deficiencies by emphasizing strengths.

Question 4

Compensation Examples

Answer 4

Adaptive
A teenage boy focuses on his football skills more than his math assignments

Maladaptive
A woman drinks alcohol when her self-esteem is low to temporarily ease her discomfort.

Question 5

What is Conversion

Answer 5

is the unconscious transformation of anxiety into a physical symptom with no organic cause.

Question 6

Conversion Examples

Answer 6

Adaptive
No example. Almost always a pathological defense.

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

Question 7

What is Denial

Answer 7

Denial involves escaping unpleasant, anxiety-causing thoughts, feelings, wishes, or needs by ignoring their existence or reality.

Question 8

Denial Examples

Answer 8

Adaptive
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.

Maladaptive
A woman whose husband died 3 years earlier still keeps his clothes in the closet and talks about him in the present tense.

Question 9

What is Displacement

Answer 9

Displacement is the transference of emotions associ- ated with a particular person, object, or situation to another nonthreatening person, object, or situation

Question 10

Displacement Examples

Answer 10

Adaptive
A child yells at his teddy bear after being picked on by the school bully.

Maladaptive
A child who is unable to acknowledge fear of his father becomes fearful of animals.

Question 11

What is Dissassociation

Answer 11

Dissociation is a disruption in consciousness, memory, identity, or perception of the environment that results in compartmentalizing uncomfortable or unpleasant aspects of oneself.

Question 12

Dissassociation Examples

Answer 12

Adaptive
An art student is able to mentally separate herself from a noisy environment as she becomes absorbed in her work.

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

Question 13

What is Identification

Answer 13

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

Question 14

Identification Examples

Answer 14

Adaptive
An 8-year-old girl dresses up like her teacher and puts together a pretend classroom for her friends.

Maladaptive
A boy dresses and talks like a neighborhood drug dealer and starts his own “gang.”

Question 15

What is Intellectualization

Answer 15

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

Question 16

Intellectualization Example

Answer 16

Adaptive
Despite having lost his farm to a tornado, a man analyzes his options and leads his child to safety.

Maladaptive
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.

Question 17

What is Projection

Answer 17

Projection refers to the unconscious rejection of emotionally unacceptable features and attributing them to others.

Question 18

Projection Examples

Answer 18

Adaptative
No example. This is considered an immature defense mechanism.

Maladaptive
A woman who has repressed an attraction toward other women refuses to socialize. She fears that another woman will come on to her.

Question 19

What is Rationalization

Answer 19

Rationalization consists of justifying illogical or unrea- sonable ideas, actions, or feelings by developing acceptable explanations that satisfy the teller and the listener.

Question 20

Rationalization Examples

Answer 20

Adaptive
An employee says, “I didn’t get the raise because the boss doesn’t like me.”

Maladaptive
An employee says, “I didn’t get the raise because the boss doesn’t like me.”

Question 21

What is Reaction formation

Answer 21

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

Question 22

Reaction formation Examples

Answer 22

Adaptive
A recovering alcoholic constantly talks about the evils of drinking.

Maladaptive
A woman who has an unconscious hostility toward her daughter is overprotective and hovers over her to protect her from harm, interfering with her normal growth and development.

Question 23

What is Regression

Answer 23

Regression is reverting to an earlier, more primitive and childlike pattern of behavior that may or may not have been exhibited previously.

Question 24

Regression Examples

Answer 24

Adaptive
A 4-year-old boy with a new baby brother temporarily starts sucking his thumb and asking for a baby bottle.

Maladaptive
A man who loses a promotion starts complaining to others, hands in sloppy work, misses appoint- ments, and comes in late for meetings.

Question 25

What is Repression

Answer 25

Repression is an unconscious exclusion of unpleasant or unwanted experiences, emotions, or ideas from conscious awareness.

Question 26

Repression Examples

Answer 26

Adaptive
After a marital fight, a man forgets his spouse’s birthday.

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

Question 27

What is Splitting

Answer 27

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

Question 28

Splitting Examples

Answer 28

Adaptive
No example. Almost always a pathological defense.

Maladaptive
A 26-year-old woman initially values her acquain- tances yet invariably becomes disillusioned when they turn out to have flaws.

THERE IS NO INBETWEEN WITH SPLITTING , YOU EITHER GOOD OR BAD NOTHING IN BETWEEN

Question 29

What is Sublimation

Answer 29

Sublimation is an unconscious process of transforming negative impulses into less damaging and even productive impulses

Question 30

Sublimation Examples

Answer 30

Adaptive
A woman who is angry with her boss channels her feelings into housework until her house is sparkling clean.

Maladaptive
No example. The use of sublimation is always constructive.

Question 31

What is Suppression

Answer 31

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

Question 32

Suppression Examples

Answer 32

Adaptive
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.

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

Question 33

What is Undoing

Answer 33

Undoing is when a person makes up for a regrettable act or communication.

Question 34

Undoing Examples

Answer 34

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

Maladaptive
A man with rigid, moralistic beliefs and repressed sexuality is driven to wash his hands to gain com- posure when he is around attractive women.