Exam 2 Flashcards
(112 cards)
What is the continuum of defense mechanisms?
Primitive/Narcissistic 🡪 Immature 🡪 Neurotic 🡪 Mature
Define denial as a defense mechanism.
Refusing to admit reality or what is really occurring.
Provide an example of denial.
An alcoholic who denies having a problem because they can still function.
What is projection in the context of defense mechanisms?
Attributing one’s own unacceptable qualities or feelings and attributing them to another.
Provide an example of projection.
A spouse who is cheating accuses their spouse of cheating.
Define splitting as a defense mechanism.
Inability to integrate the positive and negative qualities of oneself or others into a cohesive image.
Provide an example of splitting.
A patient talks negatively about providers she doesn’t like despite their common goal.
What is acting out in immature defenses?
Avoiding conscious experience of the emotion through impulsive action.
Provide an example of acting out.
Instead of feeling sad or angry, the person gets drunk.
Define somatization as a defense mechanism.
Transformation of emotion into bodily symptoms.
Provide an example of somatization.
A woman feels body aches every time her husband goes out of town.
What is regression in the context of defense mechanisms?
Reverting to an earlier, more primitive and childlike pattern of behavior.
Provide an example of regression.
A child begins wetting the bed after his parents’ divorce.
Define reaction formation.
Taking up opposite feeling/behavior to decrease anxiety.
Provide an example of reaction formation.
Treating someone you dislike in a friendly manner.
What is intellectualization?
Focusing on the intellectual component rather than the emotional component.
Provide an example of intellectualization.
Focusing on details of medical procedures after a terminal diagnosis.
Define repression as a defense mechanism.
Unconscious exclusion of unpleasant experiences from conscious awareness.
Provide an example of repression.
A child cannot remember abuse from a parent.
What is displacement in the context of defense mechanisms?
Transference of emotions associated with a particular person or situation to another non-threatening one.
Provide an example of displacement.
A man gets angry at work and comes home and kicks the dog.
Define rationalization.
Explaining an unacceptable behavior or feeling in a rational or logical manner.
Provide an example of rationalization.
I didn’t get the job because the boss was playing favoritism.
What is dissociation?
Avoiding emotional distress through an altered state of consciousness.