Psychology: Defense Mechanisms
Grade Level:
Multi
Subject:
Psychology
Prepared By:
L. Korpics
Overview & Purpose: Freud said that our unconscious often helps us cope with
unbearable feelings with different behaviors that we may or may not be aware of.
Education Standards Addressed
APA (American Psychological Association)
Advanced Placement Guide – College Board
FOCUS
Student Guide
Teacher Objectives
Have you ever laughed loudly in a
library?
Have you ever ignored a problem
that you knew existed?
SWBAT: understand and explain coping
Information
SWBAT learn the different type of
defense mechanisms.
Notes/Lecture/Inquiry/PowerPoint
Much like we defend ourselves
physically from harm, we defend our
personalities from harm by defense
mechanisms.
SWBAT give examples of each defense
mechanism and identify them in the
context of their lives
Students will write skits
demonstrating at least three (3)
defense mechanisms in a role play
to ensure affective domain of
learning
Students role play skits using different
defense mechanisms
Repression, Suppression, Denial,
Acting Out, Undoing, Reaction
Formation, Projection, Sublimation,
Cognitive Dissonance, Identification
with Aggressor, Stockholm
Syndrome, Conversion Syndromes,
Hypochondriasis, Munchausen’s
Syndrome by Proxy, Regression.
Passive Aggression, Isolation of
Affect.
TEST: Defense Mechanisms
ESSAY: Analysis of film “Reign Over Me”
FILM: “Reign Over Me”
(Give and/or demonstrate necessary
information)
Verification
(Steps to check for student
understanding)
Activity
(Describe the independent activity to
reinforce this lesson)
Assessment:
mechanisms, identify reasons and types of
defense mechanisms as Freudian in nature,
Notes: Freudian: Defense
Mechanisms
Cognitive Domain of Learning
Materials Needed
 Pen
 Notebook
 Text: “Psychology
and You”
 Reading: Stockholm
Syndrome
 Article: Jaycee
Dugard
Other Resources
Projector/Computer/Photos
FILM: Analysis Sheet