AP Psych: Defense Mechanism

Denial

Refusal to recognize or acknowledge a threatening situation.

Ex: Ben is failing his class and denies struggling academically.

Repression

“Pushing” threatening or conflicting events or situations out of conscious memory.

Ex: Elise, who was badly injured in a fire as a child, cannot remember the fire at all.

Rationalization

Making up acceptable excuses for unacceptable behavior.

Ex: “If I don’t have breakfast, I can have that piece of cake later on without hurting my diet.”

Projection

Placing one’s own unacceptable thoughts onto others, as if the thought belonged to them and not to oneself.

Ex: Keisha is attracted to her friend’s boyfriend but denies this and believes the boyfriend is attracted to her.

Reaction formation

Forming an emotional reaction or attitude that is the opposite of one’s threatening or unacceptable actual thoughts.

Ex: Seven-year-old Darnell likes his female classmate, Annie, but he makes fun of her and acts rudely in her presence.

Displacement

Expressing feelings that would be threatening if directed at the real target onto a less threatening substitute target

Ex: Sandra gets reprimanded by her teacher and goes home to angrily pick a fight with her brother.

Regression

Falling back on childlike patterns as a way of coping with stressful situation

Ex: Four-year-old Jeff starts wetting his after his parents bring home a new baby.

Identification

Trying to become like someone else’s to deal with one’s anxiety

Ex: Marie really admires Suzy, the most popular girl in school, and tries to copy her behavior and dress.

Compensation (substitution)

Trying to make up for areas in which a lack is perceived by becoming superior in some other area.

Ex: Reggie is not good at athletics, so he puts all of his energies es into becoming an academic scholar.

Sublimation

Turning socially unacceptable urges into socially acceptable behavior.

Ex: Alain, who is very aggressive, becomes a professional hockey player

ID

Pleasure principle → demands immediate gratification → largely unconscious reservoir of psychic energy that strives to satisfy basic sexual and aggressive drives.

Ego

Reality principle → conscious mediator between the id and superego, making goals and actions reasonable and realistic

Superego

Morality principle → represents internalized ideals and provides standards for judgement and future aspirations