Defense Mechanisms

Question 1

Id

Answer 1

Animalistic and present at birth.
Controls instinctive urges, pleasure seeking, and gratification.

Question 2

Super-ego

Answer 2

The conscience and moral compass
Insists on socially acceptable behavior

Question 3

Ego

Answer 3

Rational brain that is reality driven
Resolves conflicts between the Id and superego

Question 4

What do defense mechanisms protect?

Answer 4

They protect us when our ego feel threatened.
All defenses are unconscious except suppression

Question 5

What are the four clusters of defense mechanisms?

Answer 5

Narcissistic
Immature
Anxiety
Mature

Question 6

Narcissistic defense mechanisms

Answer 6

Used by narcissist to protect vulnerabilities
Includes denial, projection, and splitting.

Question 7

Denial

Answer 7

Not allowing reality to come into thoughts and avoid acknowledgment of painful aspects of reality
Often seen with substance abusers
Typically the first response to bad news

Question 8

Projection

Answer 8

Attributes own emotions onto someone else
Often seen with cheating

Question 9

Splitting

Answer 9

When people and things in the world are idolized as all good or devalued as all bad
The world is pictured an extreme terms rather than a realistic blend of good and bad qualities
Often seem with bipolar disorder

Question 10

Immature defense mechanisms

Answer 10

Arise from anxieties with intimacy and loss
Include blocking, regression, introjection, and somatization

Question 11

Blocking

Answer 11

Temporary or transient block in thinking or an inability to remember
Often seen with embarrassing moments

Question 12

Regression

Answer 12

Returning to an earlier stage of development already completed
“ Baby talk” 

Question 13

Introjection

Answer 13

Acquiring characteristics of others as our own
Unconscious form of imitation
Opposite of projection
Used in psychotherapy

Question 14

Somatization

Answer 14

When psychological conflict is converted into bodily symptoms
Not typically aware of
Main defense mechanism of somatic symptom disorders
Often seen with unresolved grief

Question 15

Anxiety defense mechanisms

Answer 15

Serve to address the unpleasant discomforts of anxiety
Includes displacement, repression, intellectualization , disassociation, acting out, rationalization, dissociation, reaction formation, and doing, and passive aggression.

Question 16

Displacement

Answer 16

When the target of an emotion or drive changes to a substitute target.
“ temper tantrums”
Fills a void
Often seen with phobias 

Question 17

Repression

Answer 17

When an idea or feeling is withheld from consciousness
“ Unconscious forgetting”
Not wanting to remember bad times

Question 18

Intellectualization

Answer 18

When facts and logic are used to avoid confronting emotions
Important adaptive defense mechanism for self preservation


Question 19

Acting out

Answer 19

Emotional or behavioral outburst masking underlying feelings or ideas
Often seen in borderline, histrionic, and antisocial personality disorders

Question 20

Rationalization

Answer 20

When rational explanations are used to justify attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors that are unacceptable
Seen with substance abuse disorders


Question 21

Disassociation

Answer 21

Separates the self from one’s experiences
Primary defense mechanism and dissociative disorders
Can create a whole new personality if they experience really bad trauma

Question 22

Reaction formation

Answer 22

When an unacceptable impulse is transformed into its opposite
Excessive overreaction
Opposite of what you actually want to do

Question 23

Undoing

Answer 23

Performing an act to undo a previous unacceptable act or thought
Use like a cover-up 

Question 24

Passive aggression

Answer 24

When hostility is expressed covertly
Getting back at someone or being vindictive

Question 25

Mature defense mechanisms

Answer 25

Accept reality in a less threatening way
Includes altruism, humor, sublimation, and suppression 

Question 26

Altruism

Answer 26

Promoting someone else’s welfare even at a risk or cost to ourselves
Makes us feel good about ourselves

Question 27

Humor

Answer 27

Permits the Overt expression of feelings and thoughts without personal discomfort
Laughter covers the pain and anxiety

Question 28

Sublimation

Answer 28

Unacceptable impulses turned into something socially acceptable
Helps to maintain self-esteem and social values

Question 29

Suppression

Answer 29

Conscious decision to forget or ignore
Allows you to “get on with life “and “deal with it later “