Psychology Defense Mechanisms Flashcards

Defense Mechanisms

• Unconscious strategies to alleviate anxiety from unacceptable impulses.

Repression

• Mental process that eliminates distressing thoughts and memories from awareness.

Example of Repression

• An abused child forgets the traumatic events but struggles with future relationships.

Projection

• Attributing one's own undesirable feelings or impulses to others rather than acknowledging them.

Example of Projection

• A person with infidelity thoughts suspects their partner of being unfaithful, projecting their own doubts.

Reaction Formation

• Subconsciously transforming threatening desires into their opposite, often with exaggerated displays.

Example of Reaction Formation

• A child displaying hostility towards a peer while secretly having a crush on them.

Displacement

• Redirecting emotional responses from a target perceived as threatening to a safer, neutral target.

Example of Displacement

• Expressing frustration by slamming doors or throwing objects instead of confronting the source of anger.

Regression

• Reverting to earlier developmental behaviors in response to stress or conflict.

Example of Regression

• Adults resorting to childlike behaviors such as thumb-sucking or watching cartoons during distressing times.

Rationalization

• Justifying inappropriate or troubling feelings and actions with plausible explanations to mask true motives.

Example of Rationalization

• A shy man avoids dating due to anxiety but claims to focus on his career instead, avoiding self-truth.