3 Questions
What is the main purpose of repression as a defense mechanism?
To banish anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories from consciousness
What is the main difference between rationalization and denial as defense mechanisms?
Denial disguises threatening feelings of guilty anxiety by attributing the problem to others, while rationalization makes mistakes seem reasonable and often sounds like an excuse
What is the main difference between reaction formation and projection as defense mechanisms?
Reaction formation disguises threatening feelings of guilty anxiety by attributing the problem to others, while projection reverses an unacceptable impulse, causing an anxious person to express the opposite of the anxiety-provoking unconscious feeling
Study Notes
Defense Mechanisms
- Repression: The main purpose of repression is to unconsciously push uncomfortable or painful memories, thoughts, or desires out of conscious awareness, thereby reducing anxiety and maintaining a sense of self.
Rationalization vs. Denial
- Rationalization: A defense mechanism that involves creating logical explanations to justify unacceptable behavior, while Denial involves refusing to acknowledge uncomfortable realities or truths.
- Rationalization allows for some level of acknowledgment, whereas denial is a complete rejection of the truth.
Reaction Formation vs. Projection
- Reaction Formation: A defense mechanism that involves adopting behaviors or feelings that are opposite of the true, unacceptable ones, in order to hide the true feelings from oneself and others.
- Projection: A defense mechanism that involves attributing one's own unacceptable thoughts or feelings to someone else, often to avoid taking responsibility or acknowledging the undesired aspects of oneself.
- The key difference lies in the direction of the defense: reaction formation is an internal reversal, while projection is an external attribution.
Test your knowledge of Freud's defense mechanisms with this quiz! Learn how these mechanisms help the ego deal with anxiety and maintain a sense of balance between the id and the superego. From denial to projection, see how well you know these key concepts in psychoanalytic theory.
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