Defense Mechanisms

Flashcards on Defense Mechanisms

Sublimation

Channeling negative energy into a positive activity.

Altruism

Performing acts of kindness to alleviate one's own distress.

Rationalization

Convincing oneself that a desired object is undesirable.

Projection

Attributing one's own unacceptable thoughts or feelings to another person.

Repression

Unexplained aversion or anxiety related to a traumatic event in the past.

Dissociation

Mentally detaching from an emotional experience.

Regression

Reverting to childlike behaviors in response to stress.

Acting Out

Expressing difficult feelings through destructive behaviors.

Conversion

Experiencing a physical symptom without a physical cause due to emotional distress.

Undoing

Trying to make up for an action by performing an opposite behavior or action.

Intellectualization

Focusing on facts and logic to avoid dealing with emotions.

Identification

Adopting the characteristics of someone admired to feel better about oneself.

Compensation

Emphasizing strengths to cover up weaknesses.

Introjection

Incorporating another's beliefs or values into one's own.

Displacement

Redirecting emotions to a less threatening target.

Reaction Formation

Transforming unacceptable feelings into their opposite.

Denial

Refusing to acknowledge reality.

Suppression

Intentionally avoiding thinking about a distressing topic.