| Defense Mechanism | How the Defense Mechanism Transforms the Conflict | Example |
|---|
| Repression (considered to be the most important defense mechanism) | Unintentionally keeping conflict-inducing thoughts or feelings out of conscious awareness | You “forget” about the time you saw someone getting mugged across the street. |
| Denial | Not acknowledging the conflict-inducing thoughts or feelings to oneself (and others) | You are addicted to painkillers but won’t admit it, even though the addiction has caused you to miss work. |
| Rationalization | Justifying the conflict-inducing thoughts, feelings, or behaviors with explanations | After a father hits his daughter, he justifies his behavior to himself by saying it will build her character. |
| Projection | Ascribing (projecting) the conflict-inducing thoughts or feelings onto others | Instead of admitting that you don’t like a classmate, you say the person doesn’t like you. |
| Reaction formation | Transforming the conflict-inducing thoughts or feelings into their opposite | Your feelings of attraction to your colleague at work are transformed into distaste and disgust, and you begin to feel repulsed by the colleague. |
| Sublimation | Channeling the conflict-inducing thoughts or feelings into less-threatening behaviors | When a father’s frustration and anger at his teenage daughter mount, he channels his feelings by going for a 20-minute run. |