Chapter 106. Defense Mechanisms

Learning Objectives

defense mechanisms
according to Freud, the methods used by the ego to protect itself from anxiety by distorting reality
displacement
in Freud’s theory, shifting sexual or aggressive impulses toward a more acceptable or less threatening object
ego
in Freud’s theory, the self that we know; mediates between the demands of the id and the moral ideals of the superego
id
in Freud’s theory, an unconscious component of the personality; present from birth, it is the repository of the sexual and aggressive urges that help humans survive
personality
the enduring characteristics of an individual that distinguish him/her from other people
projection
in Freud’s theory, disguising threatening impulses by attributing them to others
psychoanalytic perspective
an approach to personality developed by Sigmund Freud; emphasizes unconscious conflicts stemming from childhood experiences
rationalization
in Freud’s theory, self-justifying explanations in place of the real, more threatening, unconscious reasons for your actions
reaction formation
in Freud’s theory, transforming unacceptable impulses into their opposites; expressing feelings that are the opposite of your true unconscious feelings
regression
according to Freud, when faced with anxiety, retreating to an earlier psychosexual stage
repression
Freud’s term for pushing troubling feelings and memories into the unconscious; the basic defense mechanism that people use to deal with anxiety
superego
in Freud’s theory, the storehouse of moral standards internalized from parents and society; the conscience
unconscious
in Freud’s theory, the part of our personality and memory that is not available to our ordinary conscious awareness
Defense Mechanisms
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Learning Objectives:

Describe the purpose of Freud’s defense mechanisms.

Contrast the main defense mechanisms in Freud’s theory.

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1. From Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic perspective, a person’s personality has three components: the ego struggles to control and satisfy the sexual and aggressive impulses of the id in a way that doesn’t offend the superego (the voice of our conscience).

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2. But the differing motives of the id and superego create an uncomfortable friction (shown as a fire in this illustration). This conflict causes anxiety, and the ego tries to reduce this anxiety by unconsciously distorting reality.

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3. The ego's protective methods are called defense mechanisms, shown here as a wall blocking the conflict from reaching the ego's awareness.

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4. The most basic defense mechanism is repression, which gets rid of the anxiety from uncomfortable thoughts and memories by pushing those thoughts into the unconscious. Repression, which applies specifically to memory, is sometimes confused with another defense mechanism called regression, in which a person avoids anxiety-provoking situations by psychologically escaping to an earlier era in his or her development. For example, a college student might react to a failing exam grade by crawling into bed and hugging a stuffed animal.

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5. Two of the defense mechanisms are aimed at making you feel better about yourself. Rationalization provides false, socially acceptable explanations for your behavior in place of the actual reasons. Reaction formation converts your unacceptable impulses into the opposite actions, allowing you to believe that your feelings and desires are completely different from your real feelings.

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6. The final pair of defense mechanisms involves a person changing direction. Projection involves changing the source of your troubling impulses by denying that they belong to you and instead attributing them to other people. Displacement involves changing the target of your unacceptable actions, redirecting those actions toward convenient or safe persons rather than the real objects of your impulses.

Practice 1: Exploring the Defense Mechanisms

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Practice 1: Exploring the Defense Mechanisms

Roll over each term for a defense mechanism to see a brief description from Freud’s perspective.

displacement

reaction formation

rationalization

repression

regression

projection

displacement

reaction formation

rationalization

repression

regression

projection

shifts sexual or aggressive impulses toward a more acceptable or less threatening object or person

unconsciously switches unacceptable impulses into their opposites

offers self-justifying explanations in place of the real, more threatening, unconscious reasons for one's actions

banishes anxiety-arousing thoughts and memories from consciousness; the most basic defense mechanism

copes with anxiety by retreating to an earlier stage of development, where some psychic energy remains fixated

disguises one's own threatening impulses by attributing them to others

Practice 2: Defense Mechanisms in Action

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Practice 2: Defense Mechanisms in Action

Roll over each statement to see which of Freud’s defense mechanisms is illustrated in that situation.

Martin has hated his father since childhood. Since these feelings create tension for him, he is constantly trying to convince his friends that he both loves and respects his father.

Although Aadil has a good memory for most things, he regularly forgets to pay his bills on time.

When wages fell and jobs disappeared in the 1930s, violent crimes against recent immigrants increased.

After failing in her effort to establish a new business, a young woman returned home to her parents and expected unconditional love and indulgence.

In defending his embezzlement of thousands of dollars from his employer, Yoshi claimed he had been severely underpaid for more than a decade, and he was simply taking what was rightfully his.

Sonia often accuses other women of being sexually promiscuous and unable to maintain close, committed relationships. Those who know Sonia believe she is merely revealing her own difficulties in maintaining intimate relationships.

reaction formation

repression

displacement

regression

rationalization

projection

Quiz 1

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Quiz 1

Drag each of the terms for Freud’s defense mechanisms to the gray area in front of the appropriate description. When all the terms have been placed, select the CHECK ANSWER button.

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Perhaps you should go back to review Freud’s list of defense mechanisms.
displacement
reaction formation
rationalization
repression
regression
projection

offers self-justifying explanations in place of the real, more threatening, unconscious reasons for one's actions

shifts sexual or aggressive impulses toward a more acceptable or less threatening object or person

copes with anxiety by retreating to a more infantile psychosexual stage, where some psychic energy remains fixated

unconsciously switches unacceptable impulses into their opposites

banishes anxiety-arousing thoughts and memories from consciousness; the most basic defense mechanism

disguises one's own threatening impulses by attributing them to others

Quiz 2

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Quiz 2

Match the scenarios with the correct terms for defense mechanisms by dragging each colored circle to the appropriate gray circle. When all the circles have been placed, select the CHECK ANSWER button.

Select the NEXT button and move to the Conclusion.
Perhaps you should go back to review the purpose of each of Freud’s defense mechanisms.
rationalization
reaction formation
regression
projection
repression
displacement
Jenny forgot her dreaded dentist appointment on Tuesday even though the dentist's office had called to remind her a day before.
Jorge regularly fails to pay his income taxes because "the government wastes taxpayers' money anyway."
When Jamal does poorly on a test, he goes back to his dorm and picks on his roommate.
Joshua is actively involved in a community campaign to stamp out pornography even though he frequently watches porn videos in his room.
Jaha rarely arrives at work on time, but she regularly criticizes her coworkers for being late for meetings.
When 22-year-old Jill has a fight with her new husband, she retreats to the bedroom to hug a doll from childhood.

Conclusion

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