Freud's Defense Mechanisms Flashcards

Questions and Answers

What is repression?

Pushing out of conscious awareness (correct)

Redirecting feelings to another person

Acting opposite of true feelings

Justification of an undesirable occurrence

What does denial mean in the context of defense mechanisms?

Refusal to accept reality.

Displacement involves redirecting feelings to a less threatening target.

True

Projection involves pointing one's own problems out in ______.

someone else Signup and view all the answers

What is reaction formation?

Acting opposite to true feelings. Signup and view all the answers

What does regression refer to?

Returning to an earlier form of behavior. Signup and view all the answers

What is rationalization?

Justification of an undesirable occurrence. Signup and view all the answers

What is intellectualization?

Undertaking an unemotional study of a topic Signup and view all the answers

Sublimation is channeling impulses into socially unacceptable behaviors.

False Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Freud's Defense Mechanisms

Repression
- Involves pushing distressing thoughts out of conscious awareness.
- Example: Responding with indifference about a painful event, like a partner leaving.
Denial
- Refusal to accept reality; not confronting ego-threatening truths.
- Example: Acting as if a spouse has not left, maintaining normal routines like cooking.
Displacement
- Redirecting feelings from a threatening person or object to a safer target.
- Example: Taking out anger towards a partner on students by failing them.
Projection
- Attributing one's own unresolved feelings to others.
- Example: Believing an ex-partner still has feelings, or accusing a friend’s husband of cheating.
Reaction Formation
- Behaving in a way that is opposite to one's true feelings.
- Example: Expressing hatred towards a spouse when the underlying feeling is affection.
Regression
- Reverting to earlier, more comforting behaviors when stressed.
- Example: Engaging in childhood behaviors, such as thumb-sucking.
Rationalization
- Justifying actions or feelings to make them more palatable.
- Example: Dismissing rejection from colleges by claiming the institution was undesirable.
Intellectualization
- Engaging in an unemotional analysis of stressful topics.
- Example: Researching reasons for relationship breakdowns without addressing emotions.
Sublimation
- Redirecting negative impulses into socially acceptable activities.
- Example: Using the energy from heartbreak to engage in physical fitness instead.

Description

Test your knowledge of Freud's defense mechanisms with these flashcards. Each card presents a mechanism alongside its definition and example. Ideal for psychology students looking to reinforce their understanding of key concepts in Freudian theory.