Defense Mechanisms Flashcards by Gabby Marckese

help the ego cope with anxiety, frustration, and unacceptable impulses

defense mechanisms

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

help relieve tension between inner psychological
reality and the demands of the external world

defense mechanisms

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

primitives defense mechanisms -more out of touch with reality

denial, reaction formation, and projection

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

mature defense mechanisms- represent higher levels of functioning

sublimation, undoing, rationalization, displacement, identification, and intellectualization

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Each person has a BLANK making up their personality

unique set of defense mechanisms

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

a defense process by which plausible reasons justify an action or
opinion

rationalization

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

a defense mechanism that helps the person cope with disappointments by blaming external
circumstances

rationalization

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

which defense mechanism is…..after not getting a job he applied for, he thinks,
“I’ll be better off at a different company”

rationalization

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

which defense mechanism is….after getting turned down for a date, says, “I’m
better off without them. That person is really snobby anyway.”

rationalization

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

which defense mechanism is….. an abused spouse hitting their children as ‘punishment’ after being hit by
their spouse

rationalization

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

a defense mechanism that refuses to let unacceptable impulses into conscious awareness

repression

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

which DM is…..feeling sexually attracted toward members of the same
sex, but pushing away this intolerable thought from consciousness only to later dream
about such sexual impulses.

repression

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

which DM is…..after years of celibacy, the person begins to eat copious amounts of food; they are not even letting their unacceptable impulses (in this
case, sexual feelings) come into existence and they do so by using food to avoid these
feelings/desires.

repression

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

which DM is….. a young boy has a phobia of dogs but cannot remember the
event that occurred that caused him to first be afraid of them

repression

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

a defense mechanism that distorts/refuses to accept reality (acting like whatever happened never
happened)

denial

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

one is like FORGETTING something bad happened

and

the other is ACTING like something didn’t happen

repression vs denial

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

forgetting their child died in a car accident

repression

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

acting like their child survived the car accident; not accepting they died- they didn’t repress the event

denial

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

a defense mechanism that uncommon in very young children because they are unable to distinguish
between fantasy and reality

denial

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

a defense mechanism where a person continues to eat unhealthy foods despite his doctor’s
orders to eat healthier

denial

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

a defense mechanism where an alcoholic attends a recovery program but continues to drink
alcohol

denial

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

a defense mechanism that places unacceptable feelings from the person feeling them onto another
person

projection

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

a defense mechanism that is a two-way street: there’s Person A, who has the feeling about Person B,
and instead of expressing that feeling, they accuse Person B of having that feeling
instead

projection

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

which DM is…..they are angry at their spouse, but instead of expressing
that anger, they accuse their spouse of being angry at them

projection

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

which DM is....an anxious colleague complaining about a coworker’s anxieties

projection

which DM is.... he complains that no one likes him, but in reality he does not like himself or others

projection

which DM is..... they gained weight, but instead of acknowledging this, they tell their friend it looks like they (the friend) has gained weight

projection

a defense mechanism in which affect is transferred from one object to another

displacement

unlike projection this DM has 3 parties/situations involved: so there's person A, who has the feeling about Person/Situation B, but doesn't feel they can express it directly, so instead they take it out on Person C.

displacement

which DM is.....upset at his spouse, but instead of expressing it to the spouse, he takes it out on his kids and yells at them

displacement

which DM is....compulsively eating lollipops after they quit smoking

displacement

which DM is....she begins to compulsively wash her hands after being shamed for masturbating

displacement

a defense mechanism that takes projection a step further, with the person who has been projected onto believing the projection

projective identification

which DM is.....a person has gained weight, but instead of acknowledging this, they tell their friend it looks like they-the friend-has gained weight THEN the friend begins believing they’ve gained weight, despite not having gained weight. They may go on to behave in way that aligns with the projection either because of their own insecurities or because the person projecting has controlled the situation in such a way to make them believe it....the person may begin eating more and actually gaining weight

projective identification

which DM is....a supervisor who is insecure about their supervisory skills because they don’t feel they are doing an adequate job as a supervisor, accuses their supervisees of doing inadequate work. The supervisees begin to feel insecure in their own work, and may even go on to do less adequate work than before

projective identification

a defense mechanism where content is separated from repressed affect

intellectualization

a defense mechanism where someone speaks of his traumatic childhood as if reading a scripted story.

intellectualization

a defense mechanism where a victim of sexual assault researches factual PTSD criteria instead of addressing her emotional pain in therapy

intellectualization

a defense mechanism characterized by rigor and self-denial

asceticism

which DM is.... she refuses to eat or sleep until a major work project is complete EX: ellie

asceticism

which DM is....coping with sexual tension and desire by refusing to engage in all pleasurable activities Ex: nun or priest

asceticism

which DM is......displacing unacceptable instincts for constructive and socially acceptable behaviors

sublimation

which DM is.....someone w major depression may use professional dance to help avoid/cope w suicidal thoughts

sublimation

which DM is..... someone w aggressive impulses becomes a kickboxing instructor

sublimation

the internalization of outside events or characteristics of other people

introjection

which DM is....a victim trying to identify with the aggressor’s behaviors to help protect themself

introjection

uses BLANK when putting on their seat belt before driving away in their car because they have BLANK the voice of previous authority figures who have told them to buckle their seatbelt while in the car

introjection, internalization

a person may BLANK the concept that "boys don't cry" -- this is an idea that a person might take in from their environment. They aren't necessarily identifying with the person who said/thought it, but they take it in and it becomes part of how they see the world. Over time, this might lead to BLANK with the individual who said/thought it.

internalize; identification

a defense mechanism where qualities of an external object are absorbed into one's personality

identification

very similar and on a continuum - BLANK can lead to BLANK over time

introjection/ internalization and identification introjection/internalization; identification

which DM is.....a Bruce Lee fan becoming a disciplined martial art champion

identification

which DM is.....a young person deciding to follow in their father’s footsteps and becomes a lawyer

identification

a defense mechanism where unacceptable impulses are expressed as their opposites ex: small dick so act like a dick

reaction formation

a defense mechanism that helps release anxiety and guilt associated with the true impulse

reaction formation

which DM is......a supervisee is overly nice to their supervisor even though they despise them

reaction formation

which DM is....a parent with an unwanted child is being very overprotective of that child or being overly loving

reaction formation

which DM is....a man who is gay openly dates women and criticizes gay men

reaction formation

a defense mechanism where we avoid being punished for undesirable thoughts or actions. We BLANK a threatening thought, feeling, or behavior by engaging in a contrary behavior. Unlike reaction formation where they are trying to hide their true feelings, with BLANK they are actually trying to BLANK a thought, feeling, or behavior they have already had (like a person being overly nice to a person she had just insulted in her mind)

undoing

which DM is....a spouse buys his partner lavish gifts after many adulterous acts

undoing

which DM is....a person is overly nice to a person she just insulted in her mind

undoing

bc of weakness focus on strength to make up ex: small dick so focuses on eating out

compensation