Ego Defense Mechanisms in Psychology: Flashcards for Understanding Key Concepts

Compensation

Identify the ego defense mechanism by its definition:

Covering up a real or perceived weakness by emphasizing a trait one considers more desirable

Compensation

Identify the ego defense mechanism by its example:

A physically handicapped boy is unable to participate in football, so he compensates by becoming a great scholar

Rationalization

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Attempting to make excuses or formulate logical reasons to justify unacceptable feelings or behaviors

Rationalization

Identify the ego defense mechanism by its example:

John tells the rehab nurse, "I drink because it's the only way I can deal with my bad marriage and my worse job."

Denial

Identify the ego defense mechanism by its definition:

Refusing to acknowledge the existence of a real situation or the feelings associated with it

Denial

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A woman who drinks alcohol every day an cannot stop fails to acknowledge that she has a problem

Reaction formation

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Preventing unacceptable or undesirable thoughts or behaviors from being expressed by exaggerating opposite thoughts or types of behaviors

Reaction formation

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Jane hates nursing. She attended nursing school to please her parents. During career day, she speaks to prospective students about the excellence of nursing as a career.

Displacement

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The transfer of feelings from one target to another that is considered less threatening or that is neutral

Displacement

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A patient is angry at his physician, does not express it, but becomes verbally abusive with the nurse

Regression

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Responding to stress by retreating to an earlier level of development and the comfort measures associated with that level of functioning

Regression

Identify the ego defense mechanism by its example:

When 2-year old Jay is hospitalized for tonsillitis, he will drink only from a bottle, even though his mom states he has been drinking from a cup for 6 months

Repression

Identify the ego defense mechanism by its definition:

Involuntarily blocking unpleasant feelings and experiences from one's awareness

Repression

Identify the ego defense mechanism by example:

An accident victim can remember nothing about the accident

Identification

Identify the ego defense mechanism by its definition:

An attempt to increase self-worth by acquiring certain attributes and characteristics of an individual one admires

Identification

Identify the ego defense mechanism its example:

A teenager who required length rehabilitation after an accident decides to become a physical therapist as a result of his experiences

Intellectualization

Identify the ego defense mechanism by its definition:

An attempt to avoid expressing actual emotions associated with a stressful situation by using the intellectual processes of logic, reasoning, and analysis

Intellectualization

Identify the ego defense mechanism its example:

S's Husband is being transferred with his job to a city far away from her parents. She hides anxiety by explaining to her parents the advantages associated with the move

Sublimation

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Rechanneling of drives or impulses that are personally or socially unacceptable into activities that are constructive

Sublimation

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A mother whose son was killed by a drunk driver channels her anger and energy into being the president of the local chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving

Introjection

Identify the ego defense mechanism by its definition:

Integrating the beliefs and values of another individual into one's own ego structure

Introjection

Identify the ego defense mechanism its example:

Children integrate their parents' value system into the process of conscience formation. A child says to a friend, "Don't cheat. It's wrong."

Suppression

Identify the ego defense mechanism by its definition:

The voluntary blocking of unpleasant feelings and experiences from one's awareness

Suppression

Identify the ego defense mechanism by its example:

Scarlett O'Hara says, "I don't want to think about that now. I'll think about that tomorrow."

Isolation

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Separating a thought or memory from the feeling tone or emotion associated with it

Isolation

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A young woman describes being attacked and raped, without showing any emotion

Undoing

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Symbolically negating or canceling out an experience that one finds intolerable

Undoing

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Joe is nervous about his new job and yells at his wife. On his way home, he stops and buys her some flowers

Projection

Identify the ego defense mechanism by definition:

Attributing feelings or impulses unacceptable to one's self to another person

Projection

Identify the ego defense mechanism its example:

Sue feels a strong sexual attraction to her track coach and tells her friend, "He's coming on to me!"