Freud's Defense Mechanisms Flashcards

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.