Chapter 12: Defense Mechanisms: p482

Focus Questions
What are defense mechanisms?
Defense mechanisms are the unconscious psychological processes that people
develop to relieve anxiety.
What are the most common defense mechanisms?
Among questionable forms of coping are the defense mechanism described by
Freud. These are unconscious psychological processes, mental of symbolic,
developed to relieve anxiety. They include the following:
Most Common Defense Mechanisims

Repression The person tries to banish offending desires from conscious thought to the point of being
totally unaware of the original desires.
(The Primary Mechanism)
(Keeping distressing thoughts and feelings buried in the unconscious)
The person attempts to deal with a stressful situation by claiming that the stressor was of
Rationalization minimal importance and may even have had beneficial effects.
(Creating false but plausible excuses to justify unacceptable behavior)

The person unconsciously transforms conflict and anxiety into different but related desire that
Sublimation
is more acceptable to society and to him/her self.

The person attempts to take on the virtues of an admired person.

Identification
(Bolstering self-esteem by forming an imaginary or real alliance with some person or group)

Reaction The person pretends to possess desires that are the opposite if the desires that are causing
Formation conflict and anxiety. (Behaving in a way that is exactly the opposite of one’s true feelings)

The person attributes to others the desires or thoughts that have caused personal conflict.
Projection
(attributing one’s own thoughts, feelings, or motives to another)

Denial The person attempts to dispel anxiety by refusing altogether to accept reality.

Displacement The person tries to escape the discomfort of unwanted ideas or feelings by transferring them
Substitution onto another person. (diverting emotional feelings, usually anger, from their original source to
Sublimination a substitute target)

The person retreats toward behaviors that usually characterize a lower level of maturity. ( a
Regression
reversion to immature patterns of behavior)

Identifying with some idea or object so deeply that it becomes a part of that person.
Introjection One example often used is when a child envelops representational images of his absent
parents into himself, simultaneously fusing them with his own personality.
Encountering failure or frustration in some sphere of activity, one overemphasizes another.
Compensation The term is also applied to the process of over-correcting for a handicap or limitation.
Direct Compensation Examples: (1) a physically unattractive adolescent becomes an expert dancer. (2) a youth
Overcompensation with residual muscle damage from poliomyelitis becomes an athlete. (3) Demosthenes.
(isolation). Concentrating on the intellectual components of the situations as to distance
oneself from the anxiety provoking emotions associated with these situations.
Intellectualizatio Intellectualization is a defense mechanism where reasoning is used to block confrontation with
n an unconscious conflict and its associated emotional stress. It involves removing one's self,
emotionally, from a stressful event. Intellectualization is often accomplished through
rationalization; rather than accepting reality, one may explain it away to remove one's self.

Fixation in human psychology refers to the state where an individual becomes obsessed with
Fixation
an attachment to another human, animal or inanimate object

Crazy Joe’s Psych 101 Notes II Prof. T.R. Tharney: PSY101 Chapter 12: pp. 1
Common Defense Mechanisms (12 of 25)
Repression: (The Primary Mechanism):
The person tries to banish offending
desires from conscious thought to the
point of being totally unaware of the
original desires.
(Keeping distressing thoughts and
feelings buried in the unconscious)
Ex. A traumatized soldier has no
recollection of the details of a close
brush with death.
Rationalization: The person attempts to
deal with a stressful situation by
claiming that the stressor was of
minimal importance and may even
have had beneficial effects.
(Creating false but plausible excuses to
justify unacceptable behavior)
Ex. a student who cheats on an
exam may rationalize the action
with the claim that everybody
cheats, which makes cheating
easier to accept.
Sublimation: The person unconsciously
transforms conflict and anxiety into
different but related desire that is more
acceptable to society and to him/her
self.
Identification: The person attempts to take
on the virtues of an admired person.
(Bolstering self-esteem by forming an
imaginary or real alliance with some
person or group)
Ex. An insecure young man joins a
fraternity to boost his self-esteem.
Reaction Formation: The person pretends
to possess desires that are the
opposite if the desires that are causing
conflict and anxiety. (Behaving in a
way that is exactly the opposite of
one’s true feelings)
Ex. A parent who unconsciously
resents a child spoils the child
with outlandish gifts.
Projection: The person attributes to others
the desires or thoughts that have
caused personal conflict. (attributing
one’s own thoughts, feelings, or
motives to another)
Ex. A person who does not want to
recognize his/her inadequate
tennis skills blames all bad shots
on a flawed racquet.
Denial: The person attempts to dispel anxiety
by refusing altogether to accept reality.
Crazy Joe’s Psych 101 Notes II
Displacement (Substitution and Sublimination):
The person tries to escape the
discomfort of unwanted ideas or
feelings by transferring them onto
another person. (diverting emotional
feelings, usually anger, from their
original source to a substitute target)
Ex. After failing a important exam,
a student takes her anger out on
her little brother.
Regression: The person retreats toward
behaviors that usually characterize a
lower level of maturity. ( a reversion to
immature patterns of behavior)
Ex. An adult has a temper tantrum
when he doesn’t get his way.
Introjection: Identifying with some idea or
object so deeply that it becomes a part
of that person.
One example often used is when a
child envelops representational images
of his absent parents into himself,
simultaneously fusing them with his
own personality.
Compensation (Direct Compensation,
Overcompensation): Encountering failure
or frustration in some sphere of
activity, one overemphasizes another.
The term is also applied to the process
of over-correcting for a handicap or
limitation. Examples: (1) a physically
unattractive adolescent becomes an
expert dancer. (2) a youth with
residual muscle damage from
poliomyelitis becomes an athlete. (3)
Demosthenes.
Intellectualization :( isolation).
Concentrating on the intellectual
components of the situations as to
distance oneself from the anxiety
provoking emotions associated with
these situations.
Intellectualization is a defense
mechanism where reasoning is used to
block confrontation with an
unconscious conflict and its associated
emotional stress. It involves removing
one's self, emotionally, from a stressful
event. Intellectualization is often
accomplished through rationalization;
rather than accepting reality, one may
explain it away to remove one's self.
Fixation: in human psychology refers to the
state where an individual becomes
obsessed with an attachment to
another human, animal or inanimate
object.
Prof. T.R. Tharney: PSY101 Chapter 12: pp. 2
Defense Mechanisms: Study Questions
1) Correct Greg learns that he has cancer. He Jerry's experience is an example of which
begins to learn everything he can about type of defense mechanism?
the illness, reading books, journal articles,
a) Acting out
and the latest experimental research.
Greg's response to his diagnosis is what b) Avoidance
type of defense mechanism?
a) Intellectualization c) Compensation

b) Regression d) Aim inhibition

c) Sublimation 7) Wrong Jess often experiences intense

d) Repression
2) Correct Bill's friends and family believe that
he has a drinking problem. When Bill is
confronted by his loved ones, he claims
that his drinking is not problematic. What
type of defense mechanism is Bill's
response?
feelings of anger and frustration. In order
to cope with these feeling, he enrolls in a
kickboxing class as an outlet for his
emotions. Jess's actions are an example of
which type of defense mechanism?
a) Sublimation
b) Projection

a) Repression c) Displacement

b) Rationalization d) Repression

c) Denial 8) Wrong who described ten different defense

mechanisms used by the ego to defend
d) Displacement against anxiety?
3) Correct Which defense mechanism did a) Carl Rogers
Freud believe to be a sign of maturity?
b) Sigmund Freud
a) Repression
c) Erik Erikson
b) Displacement
d) Anna Freud
c) Sublimation
9) Wrong Clare complains about her job duties
d) Regression at work, rarely completes assigned tasks,
and is regularly late for work. When she is
4) Correct Mary has an argument with her
fired, she claims it was due to her co-
boss, but remains calm while at work.
worker badmouthing her instead of
When she gets home that evening, she
blaming it on her own poor work
yells at her spouse and children. Which
performance. Which defense mechanism
defense mechanism is Mary displaying?
explains Clare's reaction?
a) Rationalization
a) Displacement
b) Denial
b) Denial
c) Reaction Formation
c) Rationalization
d) Displacement
d) Sublimation
5) Correct Jessica dislikes public speaking.
10) Correct while out on her morning jog, Linda
She stops going to school, changes jobs,
encounters a growling dog. Linda fears that
and declines most social engagements to
the dog may try to bite her. According to
ensure that she does not have to speak in
Freud, this type of anxiety is:
public. Jessica's behavior is an example of
which defense mechanism? a) Moral Anxiety
a) Denial b) Reality Anxiety
b) Avoidance c) Neurotic Anxiety
c) Sublimation d) Libidinal Anxiety
d) Passive-aggression
6) Wrong Jerry's dream is to be a professional
basketball player. When he realizes that he
is unable to fulfill his dream, he instead
becomes a high school basketball coach.