Psychology Exam 2: Defense Mechanisms

Humor

making a joke to break the tension

Denial

not accepting the truth or the reality of a situation

Regression

early stages of satisfaction; immature; oral

Ex: chewing gum, biting nails, eating, chewing the pen cap

Sublimation

taking Id impulses and redirecting them into socially acceptable activities

Ex: sports, schoolwork, the gym

Intellectualization/Rationalization

giving logical reasons for what happened

Ex: You were late to school because there was traffic on the way there, but you left your house 5 minutes before class started.

Isolation

blocking/repressing your feelings from your thoughts and behaviors

Ex: health care workers do this (ER doctors and nurses must control their emotions so they don’t freak out and can deliver quality care)

Projection

a person does not take responsibility for their thoughts or behaviors; puts the blame on others

Reaction Formation

person has an Id impulse that is not acceptable to them, so they repress the feelings by adopting the extreme opposite behavior of the feeling

Ex: A man is having strong sexual impulses, so he becomes a priest.

Defense Mechanisms

unconscious techniques that people develop to protect themselves from stress and anxiety