Defense Mechanism STUDY GUIDE
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1.
COMPENSATION
The act of "making up" for a real or imagined inability or deficiency with a specific
behavior to maintain self-respect or self-esteem. The person overcomes an inability by
becoming proficient in another area. This may occur on a conscious or unconscious level.
EXAMPLE:
A short girl may become manager of a basketball team because she is not tall enough to
qualify for the team. An unattractive man selects expensive, stylish clothes to draw
attention to himself
2.
CONVERSION
The transferring of a mental conflict into a physical problem.
EXAMPLE:
A woman experiences sudden blindness after witnessing a robbery. A man develops
paralysis of his lower extremities after he learns his wife has terminal cancer.
3.
DENIAL
The unconscious refusal to face thoughts, feelings, wishes, needs, or reality by refusing
to acknowledge its existence. Denial is also defined as blocking the awareness of reality
by refusing to acknowledge its existence.
EXAMPLE:
A man who is told he has terminal cancer denies the diagnosis by telling his family he
had a little tumor on his lung and his doctor "removed all of it." A woman denies that her
marriage is falling apart by telling her estranged husband that all couples go through
marital slumps and "things will be better tomorrow."
4.
DISPLACEMENT
A mechanism that serves to transfer feelings such as frustration, hostility, or anxiety from
one idea, person, or object to another. The substitute target is less threatening and
allows the person to release emotional reactions.
EXAMPLE:
Slamming the door when you get angry; yelling at one person when you are angry at
another. Parents often displace feelings of anger or frustration towards their children
since they are more tolerant recipients of such displacement than other adults.
5.
DISSOCIATION
The act of separating and detaching a strong, emotionally charged conflict from one's
consciousness. This detached information is blocked from conscious awareness, which
allows the person to defer or postpone experiencing an emotional impact or painful
feelings.
EXAMPLE:
A woman who was raped was found wandering a busy highway in torn, disheveled
clothing. When examined by the emergency room physician, the woman was exhibiting
symptoms of traumatic amnesia. She separated and detached her emotional reaction to
the rape from her consciousness.
6.
FANTASY
Imagined events or mental images (e.g., daydreaming) to express unconscious conflicts,
gratify unconscious wishes, or prepare for anticipated future events.
EXAMPLE:
Heather, a young woman on a popular television soap opera, fantasized she had a child,
as she sat in a rocking chair, held a baby doll, and sang lullabies.
7.
IDENTIFICATION (Also referred to as "the imitator")
Unconsciously, people use it in an attempt to identify with the personality and traits of
another. Such behavior preserves one's ego or self, the organized conscious mediator
between person and reality.
EXAMPLE:
A man dresses, walks, talks, sings and acts like Elvis Presley.
8.
INTELLECTUALIZATION
The act of transferring emotional concerns into the intellectual sphere. The person uses
reasoning as a means of avoiding confrontation with unconscious conflicts and their
stressful emotions.
EXAMPLE:
A man shows no emotional response to the "dear John" letter he received from his
fiancee. Instead he tells his roommate he is trying to figure out why she changed her
mind about the upcoming wedding. The man is using intellectualization as a method of
avoiding confrontation with his fiancee.
9.
INTROJECTION
Attributing to oneself the good qualities of another, symbolically taking on the character
trait of another person by "ingesting" the philosophy, ideas, knowledge, customs, mores,
or attitudes of that person.
EXAMPLE:
a patient claimed to be Moses, grew a beard and long hair, wore a blanket and sandals,
and read his Bible daily. He refused to participate in activities unless he was called
Moses.
10.
ISOLATION
The process of separating an unacceptable feeling, idea or impulse from one's thoughts
(also referred to as emotional isolation).
EXAMPLE:
An oncologist is able to care for terminally ill cancer patient by separating or isolating
feelings of emotional reaction to the patient's inevitable death. The oncologist focuses on
the treatment, not the prognosis.
11.
PROJECTION
Often termed the "scapegoat" defense mechanism. The person rejects unwanted
characteristics of self and assigns them to others. The person may blame others for
faults, feelings, or shortcomings that are unacceptable to self.
EXAMPLE:
A man who is late for work states, "My wife forgot to set the alarm last night so I
overslept. After spilling a glass of milk while playing cards with a friend, a 10-year-old tells
his mother, "Johnny made me spill the milk. He told me to hurry up and play. A common
retort is "You made me do it!", or, "See what you made me do!".
12.
RATIONALIZATION
The most common ego defense mechanism, referred to as "self-deception at its subtle
best. Rationalization is used to unconsciously justify ideas, actions, or feelings with good,
acceptable reasons or explanations. Generally it is used to maintain self-respect, prevent
guilt feelings, and obtain social approval or acceptance.
EXAMPLE:
A teenaged girl who was not asked to the prom tells her friend, "Johnny really wanted to
take me but felt sorry for Susie and took her to the prom". A golfer overdrives the green
by about 100 yards and states: "The wind really carried my golf ball. I didn't hit it that
hard".
13.
REACTION FORMATION
Also referred to as over-compensation. The person exaggerates or overdevelops certain
actions by displaying exactly the opposite behavior, attitude or feeling from what he or
she normally would show in a given situations. This mechanism is considered a
protective drive by which the person prevents painful, undesirable or unacceptable
attitudes toward others from emerging. The conscious intent is often altruistic.
EXAMPLE:
A man who dislikes his mother-in-law may act very politely and courteously toward her. A
woman who dislikes children may talk very lovingly to a friend's young son (even though
she considers him a brat).
14.
REGRESSION
Retreating to past levels of behavior that reduce anxiety, allow one to feel more
comfortable, and permit dependency.
EXAMPLE:
A 27-year-old woman acts like a 17-year-old on her first day with a fellow employee. A 5year-old boy who is toilet trained becomes incontinent during his father's hospitalization.
Both persons have regressed to earlier developmental levels to reduce feelings of
anxiety.
15.
REPRESSION
One of the most common defense mechanism, referred to as the "burying alive
mechanism." The person is unable to recall painful or unpleasant thoughts or feelings
because they are automatically and involuntarily pushed into one's unconsciousness.
EXAMPLE:
A woman has a terrible fight with her husband and weeks later is unable to remember the
reason for the argument. A man has a serious auto accident and is unable to recall the
feelings of fear following the accident.
16.
SUBLIMIATION
The re-channeling of consciously intolerable or socially unacceptable impulses or
behaviors into activities that are personally or socially acceptable.
EXAMPLE:
A college student who has hostile feelings re-channels them by joining the debate team.
An aggressive person volunteers to head the United Fund drive in the community.
17.
SUBSTITUTION
The unconscious act of replacing a goal when it is blocked. Also defined as the
replacement of consciously unacceptable emotions, drives, attitudes, or needs by those
that are more acceptable. This mechanism is used to reduce frustration and promote
feelings of satisfaction or success.
EXAMPLE:
A student nurse in a associate degree program who feels unable to master the clinical
competencies elects to become a respiratory technician.
18.
SUPRESSION
Willfully or voluntarily putting unacceptable thought for feeling out of one's mind with the
ability to recall the thought or feeling at will. A deliberate, intentional exclusion from the
conscious mind is referred to as voluntary forgetting. This mechanism is generally used
to protect one's self-esteem.
EXAMPLE:
"I'd rather not talk about it right now", "Let's talk about my accident later," or, "I'm taking a
vacation. My problems will still be here when I get back."
19.
SYMBOLIZATION
An object, idea, or act represents another through some common aspect and carries the
emotional feelings associated with the other. External objects may become outward
representations of internal ideas, attitudes, or feelings. Symbolization allows emotional
self-expression.
EXAMPLE:
The engagement ring symbolizes love and commitment to another person.
20.
UNDOING (restitution)
The negation of a previous consciously intolerable action or experience to reduce or
alleviate feelings of guilt.
EXAMPLE:
A man sends flowers to his fiancee after he embarrassed her at a cocktail party. A
mother, who sent her son to his room because he broke a dish, decides to let him stay up
an hour later to watch television.