19 - PSY101 - Ego Defense Mechanisms

What are defense mechanisms? Defense mechanisms are the unconscious psychological processes that people develop to relieve anxiety. What are the most common defense mechanisms? Among questionable forms of coping are the defense mechanism described by Freud. These are unconscious psychological processes, mental of symbolic, developed to relieve anxiety. They include the following: Common Defense Mechanisms (12 of 25) Repression: (The Primary Mechanism): The person tries to banish offending desires from conscious thought to the point of being totally unaware of the original desires. (Keeping distressing thoughts and feelings buried in the unconscious) Ex. A traumatized soldier has no recollection of the details of a close brush with death. Rationalization: The person attempts to deal with a stressful situation by claiming that the stressor was of minimal importance and may even have had beneficial effects. (Creating false but plausible excuses to justify unacceptable behavior) Ex. a student who cheats on an exam may rationalize the action with the claim that everybody cheats, which makes cheating easier to accept. Sublimation: The person unconsciously transforms conflict and anxiety into different but related desire that is more acceptable to society and to him/her self. Identification: The person attempts to take on the virtues of an admired person. (Bolstering self-esteem by forming an imaginary or real alliance with some person or group) Ex. An insecure young man joins a fraternity to boost his self-esteem. Reaction Formation: The person pretends to possess desires that are the opposite if the desires that are causing conflict and anxiety. (Behaving in a way that is exactly the opposite of one’s true feelings) Ex. A parent who unconsciously resents a child spoils the child with outlandish gifts. Projection: The person attributes to others the desires or thoughts that have caused personal conflict. (attributing one’s own thoughts, feelings, or motives to another) Ex. A person who does not want to recognize his/her inadequate tennis skills blames all bad shots on a flawed racquet. Denial: The person attempts to dispel anxiety by refusing altogether to accept reality. For more info on this topic visit http://psy101.MyUCCedu.com