Defense Mechanisms

Vocabulary flashcards defining psychological defense mechanisms based on lecture notes.

Acting out

Avoiding feelings by not acknowledging or sharing them but instead displaying the feelings through actions

Altruism

Avoiding feelings by lack of direct acknowledgment; helping others as a way of satisfying internal needs

Avoidance

Not facing a situation, person, or item by minimizing encounters

Compensation

Overachievement of a strength to compensate for a weakness or failure

Denial

Denying an event or item's existence

Displacement

Assigning emotions (e.g., anger) to a person or object other than the focus of the emotion

Dissociation

Separating oneself from a negative or stressful experience

Fantasy

Avoiding reality by retreating to a self-created inner, fictional reality

Humor

Identifying humorous facets of an experience

Intellectualization

Avoiding emotional response for extreme intellectual pursuit and/or understanding

Projection

Transferring certain qualities to another person

Rationalization

Justifying behavior with a logical explanation