Defense Mechanisms

Question 1

displacement

Answer 1

taking out our frustrations, feelings, and impulses on people or objects that are less threatening

Question 2

denial

Answer 2

outright refusal to admit or recognize that something has occurred or is currently occurring

Question 3

repression

Answer 3

unconscious act of keeping information out of awareness

Question 4

suppression

Answer 4

conscious act of keeping information out of awareness

Question 5

sublimination

Answer 5

act out unacceptable impulses by converting these behaviors into a more acceptable and adaptive form

Question 6

projection

Answer 6

taking our own unacceptable qualities or feelings and ascribing them to other people

Question 7

intellectualization

Answer 7

reduce anxiety by thinking about events in an objective and clinical way

Question 8

rationalization

Answer 8

explaining an unacceptable behavior or feeling in a rational or logical manner, avoiding the true reasons for the behavior

Question 9

regression

Answer 9

cope with undesirable event by reverting to patterns of behavior used in earlier development

Question 10

reaction formation

Answer 10

taking up the opposite feeling, impulse, or behavior

Question 11

acting out

Answer 11

copes with stress by engaging in actions rather than reflecting upon internal feelings

Question 12

compensation

Answer 12

overachieving in one area to compensate for failures in another

Question 13

altruism

Answer 13

satisfying internal needs through helping others

Question 14

humor

Answer 14

pointing out the funny or ironic aspects of a situation

Question 15

avoidance

Answer 15

refusing to deal with or encounter unpleasant objects or situations

Question 16

fantasy

Answer 16

avoiding reality by retreating to a safe place within one’s mind

Question 17

undoing

Answer 17

trying to make up what one feels are inappropriate thoughts, feelings, or behaviors