DEFENCE MECHANISM

In Freudian psychoanalytic theory, defence mechanisms (or defense mechanisms) are unconscious

psychological strategies brought into play by various entities to cope with reality and to maintain self-image

The purpose of ego defence mechanisms is to protect the mind/self/ego from anxiety, social

sanctions or to provide a refuge from a situation with which one cannot currently cope.

Denial: Refusal to accept external reality because it is too threatening; arguing against an anxiety-provoking stimulus by stating it doesn't exist; resolution of emotional conflict and reduction of anxiety by refusing to perceive or consciously acknowledge the more unpleasant aspects of external reality.

Projection: Through projection one tries to see or attribute one’s own inferior impulses and traits in other persons or objects

An awkward person sees and criticizes awkwardness in others. Similarly, a student who has been caught in the examination for

cheating may satisfy himself by saying that uplifts had also cheated.

In this way one tries to overlook or defend one’s shortcomings

and inadequacies by emphasizing that others are worse than he is

Somatization: The transformation of negative feelings towards others into negative feelings toward self, pain, illness, and anxiety.

Displacement: Defence mechanism that shifts aggressive impulses to a more acceptable or less threatening target; redirecting emotion to a safer outlet; separation of emotion from its real object and redirection of the intense emotion toward someone or something that is less offensive or threatening in order to avoid dealing directly with what is frightening or threatening. – For example, a mother may yell at her child

because she is angry with her husband.

Dissociation: Temporary drastic modification of one's personal identity or character to avoid emotional distress; separation or postponement of a feeling that normally would accompany a situation or thought.

Intellectualization: A form of isolation; concentrating on the intellectual components of a situation so as to distance oneself from the associated anxiety-provoking emotions; separation of emotion from ideas; thinking about wishes in formal, affectively bland terms and not acting on them; avoiding unacceptable emotions by focusing on the intellectual aspects.

Isolation: Separation of feelings from ideas and events, for example, describing a murder with graphic details with no emotional response.

Rationalisation (making excuses ) is a mechanism wherein the individual gives false reasons, other than the actual one in order to reduce his guilt feeling raised out of conflict.

This is a defense mechanism in which a one justifies his otherwise unjustified behavior by giving socially acceptable reasons for it und thus attempts to defend himself by inventing plausible excuses to explain his conduct.

A student, after successfully completing his Senior Secondary School education, eager to seek admission at the Indian Institute of Technology, could not succeed in the test or interview. He conveniently blames the authorities for their defective testing or interviewing technique.

Similarly students who score less marks may blame teachers for their poor achievement.

Reaction formation: Converting unconscious wishes or impulses that are perceived to be dangerous into their opposites; behaviour that is completely the opposite of what one really wants or feels; taking the opposite belief because the true belief causes anxiety. This defence can work effectively for coping in the short term, but will eventually break down.

Repression: Human tendency is to retain the pleasurable experiences in mind and push aside the undesirable one's to the sub-conscious mind, or one may force oneself to forget such unpleasant experiences by repressing it.

Regression: Temporary reversion of the ego to an earlier stage of development rather than handling unacceptable impulses in a more adult way. Regression means going backward or returning to the past

Undoing: A person tries to 'undo' an unhealthy, destructive or otherwise threatening thought by engaging in contrary behavior.

Altruism: Constructive service to others that brings pleasure and personal satisfaction.

Humour: Overt expression of ideas and feelings (especially those that are unpleasant to focus on or too terrible to talk about) that gives pleasure to others.

Identification: is a technique by which an individual fulfils his basic needs by associating himself emotionally with famous, persons or popular institutions.

Introjection: Identifying with some idea or object so deeply that it becomes a part of that person.

Sublimation: Transformation of negative emotions or instincts into positive actions, behavior, or emotion. The individual compensates for the socially discredited behavior in a socially accepted way.

Thought suppression: The conscious process of pushing thoughts into the preconscious; the conscious decision to delay paying attention to an emotion or need in order to cope with the present reality; making it possible to later access uncomfortable or distressing emotions while accepting them.

Compensation. This is a mechanism by which an individual tries to balance or cover up his deficiency in one field by exhibiting his strength in another field. – For example, an girl who becomes a

bookworm to secure a position in the class is making use of such mechanism in order to alb act attention which she is unable to do who her looks.

Name the Defense Mechanism

Joe is mad at Sue as he grits his teeth. Sue asks, are you mad at me, and he replies, “No, I’m not mad at all as he puts a smile on his face.

Name the Defense Mechanism

The person who doesn’t study says, “the ‘F’ grade I got on the test was totally unfair.”

Name the Defense Mechanism

Karl, a tax accountant teacher instructs his students to follow the rules of tax law but later Karl cheats on his taxes.

Name the Defense Mechanism

Bill Gates tells you your reply is illogical and you reply, “you’re the illogical one!” I’m smarter than you anyway.

Name the Defense Mechanism

“Cheating on my taxes is no big deal. Everybody does it”