Ego defense mechanism

Ego defense mechanism

These are mental processes that are usually unconscious, protective barriers that are used to manage instinct and affect in the presence of stressful situations

safeguard

Defense mechanisms are thought to _____ the mind against feelings and thoughts that are too difficult for the conscious mind to cope with.

• To resolve mental conflict

• To reduce anxiety or fear

• To protect one’s self esteem

• To protect one’s sense of security

Functions of Defense Mechanism: RRPP

Suppression

Wilfully or voluntarily putting an unacceptable thought of feeling out of one’s mind with the ability to recall the thought or feeling at will.

Repression

refers to unconsciously blocking out painful or unacceptable thoughts and feelings, leaving them to operate in the subconscious.

The person is unable to recall painful or unpleasant thoughts and feelings because they are automatically and involuntarily pushed into one’s consciousness.

Compensation

The act of making up for a real or imagined inability or deficiency with a specific behavior to maintain self-respect or self-esteem

a) repression

A woman who was sexually abused as a young child can’t remember the abuse but experiences uneasy feelings when she goes near the place where the abuse occurred.

a) repression

b) sublimation

c) compensation

Rationalization

This is used unconsciously to justify ideas, actions, or feelings with good, acceptable reasons or explanations.

It is used to maintain self-respect, prevent guilt feelings, and obtain social approval or acceptance.

self-esteem and self concept.

Rationalization not only prevents anxiety, but it may also protect _______ and ________

• self-condemnation

• displacement

• criticisms

The rationalizing patient makes excuses for shortcomings and avoids SDC

c) rationalization

An individual states that she didn’t win the race because she hadn’t gotten a good night’s sleep.

a) identification

b) intellectualization

c) rationalization

Identification

Unconsciously, people use it in an attempt to identify with the personality and traits of others.

Reaction formation

The person exaggerates or overdevelops certain actions by displaying exactly the opposite behavior, attitude or feelings from what he normally would show in a given situation. T

his mechanism is considered a protective drive by which the person prevents painful, undesirable, or unacceptable attitudes toward others from emerging.

c) reaction formation

Treating someone you strongly dislike in an excessively friendly manner in order to hide your true feelings.

a) symbolization

b) identification

c) reaction formation

Substitution

The unconscious act or replacing a goal when it is blocked.

It is also defined as the replacement of consciously unacceptable emotions, drives, attitudes or needs by those that are more acceptable

Displacement

A mechanism that serves to transfer feelings such as frustration, hostility, or anxiety from one idea, person, or object to another.

The substitute target is less threatening and allows the person to release emotional reactions

Restitution or undoing

The negation of previously consciously intolerable action or experiences to reduce or alleviate feelings of guilt.

Making up for wrongdoings

Trying to make up for what one feels are inappropriate thoughts, feelings, or behaviors (e.g., if you hurt someone's feelings, you might offer to do something nice for them in order to assuage your anxiety or guilt)

c) restitution or undoing

A patient who says something bad about a friend may try to undo the harm by saying nice things about her or by being nice to her and apologizing.

a) displacement

b) substitution

c) restitution or undoing

Projection

The person rejects unwanted characteristic of self and assigns them to others.

The person may blame others for faults, feelings, or shortcomings that are unacceptable to self.

c) projection

A student who fails a test blames his parents for having the television on too loud when he was trying to study.

a) rationalization

b) intellectualization

c) projection

Symbolization

An object, idea or act represents another through some common aspect and carries the emotional feeling associated with the other.

External objects may become outward representations of internal ideas, attitudes or feelings

Regression

Retreating to past levels of behavior that reduce anxiety, allow one to feel more comfortable, and permit dependency.

Returning to earlier level of psychosocial development.

Under stress, persons may regress by returning to the behaviors they used in an earlier, more comfortable time in their lives.

b) regression

A previously toilet-trained preschool child begins to wet his bed every night after his baby brother is born.

a) sublimation

b) regression

c) denial

Sublimation

The rechanneling of consciously intolerable or socially unacceptable impulses or behaviors into activities that are personally or socially acceptable.

a) sublimation

For example, a person experiencing extreme anger might take up kick-boxing as a means of venting frustration.

a) sublimation

b) repression

c) identification

Denial

The unconscious refusal to face thoughts, feelings, wishes, needs or reality factors that are intolerable.

It is also defined as blocking the awareness of reality by refusing to acknowledge its existence.

b) denial

A woman newly diagnosed with end-stage-cancer says, “I’ll be okay, it’s not a big deal”

a) sublimation

b) denial

c) introjection

Introjection

Attributing to oneself the good qualities of another; symbolically taking on the character traits of another person by ‘ingesting’ the philosophy, ideas, knowledge, customs, mores or attitudes of that other person.

Conversion

The transferring of mental conflict into a physical symptom to release tension or anxiety

Fantasy

Imagined events or mental images to express unconscious conflicts, gratify unconscious wishes, or prepare for anticipated future events.

refers to creation of unrealistic or improbable images as a way of escaping from daily pressures and responsibilities or to relieve boredom.

c) fantasy

A person may daydream excessively, watch TV for hours on end, or imagine being highly successful when he feels unsuccessful. Engaging in such activities makes him feel better for a brief period.

a) sublimation

b) isolation

c) fantasy

Isolation

The process of separating an unacceptable feeling, idea, or impulse form one’s thoughts.

emotional isolation

Isolation is also referred to as

Dissociation

The act of separating and detaching a strong emotionally charged conflict from one’s consciousness.

This detached information is blocked from conscious awareness which allows the person to defer or postpone experiencing an emotional impact or painful feelings.

Intellectualization

The act of transferring emotional concerns into intellectual sphere. 6

The person uses reasoning as a means of avoiding confrontation with unconscious conflicts and their stressful emotions.

works to reduce anxiety by thinking about events in a cold, clinical way.

This defense mechanism allows us to avoid thinking about the stressful, emotional aspect of the situation and instead focus only on the intellectual component.

b) intellectualization

For example, a person who has just been diagnosed with a terminal illness might focus on learning everything about the disease in order to avoid distress and remain distant from the reality of the situation.

a) rationalization

b) intellectualization

Passive-aggression

Indirectly expressing aggression toward others.

A façade of overt compliance masks covert resentment

Acting out

Coping with stress by engaging in actions rather than acknowledging and bearing certain feelings

Altruism

Satisfying internal needs through helping others