Ego Defenses Flashcards
(20 cards)
Acting Out
Expressing unacceptable feelings and thoughts through actions
Example: tantrum
Denial
Avoiding awareness of some painful reality
example: a patient with cancer plans a full-time work schedule despite being warned of significant fatigue w/ chemo.
Displacement
Redirection of emotions or impulses to a neutral person or object
example: a teacher is yelled at by the principal. Instead of confronting the principal, the teacher goes home and criticizes her husband’s dinner.
Dissociation
temporary, drastic change in personality, memory, consciousness, or motor behavior to avoid emotional stress.
Example: a victim of sexual abuse suddenly appears numb and detached when she is exposed to her abuser.
Fixation
Partially remaining at a more childish level of development
Example: a surgeon throws a tantrum in the operating room because the last case ran late.
Idealization
expressing extremely positive thoughts of self and others while ignoring negative thoughts.
Example: a patients boasts about his physician and his accomplishments while ignoring flaws.
identification
Largely unconscious assumption of the characteristics, qualities, or traits of another person or group.
Example: a resident starts putting his stethoscope in his pocket like his favorite attending, instead of wearing it around his neck.
Intellectualization
using facts and logic to emotionally distance oneself from a stressful situation.
Example: in a therapy session, patient diagnoses with cancer focuses only on survival rates.
Isolation of affect
separating feelings from ideas and events.
Example: describing a murder in graphic detail with no emotional response.
Passive aggression
demonstrating hostile feelings in a non confrontational manner.
Example: disgruntled employee is repeatedly late to work, but won’t admit it is a way to get back at the manager.
projection
attributing an unacceptable internal impulse to an external source.
Example: a man who wants to cheat on his wife accuses her of being unfaithful
Rationalization
Proclaiming logical reasons for actions actually performed for other reasons, usually avoid self-blame
Example: after getting fired, claiming that the job was not important anyway.
Reaction Formation
replacing a warded-off idea or feeling by an (unconsciously derived) emphasis on its opposite (vs sublimation).
Regression
Involuntary turning back the maturational clock and going back to earlier modes of dealing w. the world (fixation)
Example: Child gets sick–>wets the bed again
Repression
Involuntary withholding an idea or feeling from conscious awareness
example: 20 year old does not remember going to therapy 10 years prior during his parents’ divorce.
Splitting
Believing that people are either all good or all bad at different times due to intolerance or ambiguity. Commonly seen in borderline personality disorder.
Example: a pt says that all nurses are cold and insensitive but that doctors are warm and friendly.
Sublimation
Replacing an unacceptable wish with a course of action that is similar to the wish but does not conflict with one’s value system.
Example: teenager’s aggression toward Dad is redirected toward sports.
Altruism
Alleviating negative feelings via unsolicited generosity
example: mafia boss makes large donation to charity
Suppression
intentionally withholding an idea or feeling from conscious awareness
Example: Choosing not to worry about the big game until its time to play
Humor
Appreciating the amusing nature of an anxiety-provoking or adverse situation
Example: nervous medical students jokes about the boards.
