Ego Defense Mechanisms

Front 1

Ego Defense Mechanisms

Back 1

methods of attempting to protect the self and cope with basic drives or emotionally painful thoughts, feelings, or events

Front 2

Compensation

Back 2

Overachievement in one area to offset real or perceived deficiencies in another area
- Napoleon complex: diminutive man becoming emperor
- Nurse with low self-esteem working double shifts so her supervisor will like her

Front 3

Conversion

Back 3

Expression of an emotional conflict through the development of a physical symptom, usually sensorimotor in nature
- Teenager forbidden to see X-rated movies is tempted to do so by friends and develops blindness, and the teenager is unconcerned about the loss of sight.

Front 4

Denial

Back 4

Failure to acknowledge an unbearable condition; failure to admit the reality of a situation or how one enables the problem to continue
- Diabetic person eating chocolate candy
- Spending money freely when broke
- Waiting 3 days to seek help for severe abdominal pain

Front 5

Displacement

Back 5

Ventilation of intense feelings toward persons less threatening than the one who aroused those feelings
- Person who is mad at the boss yells at his or her spouse
- Child who is harassed by a bully at school mistreats a younger sibling

Front 6

Dissociation

Back 6

Dealing with emotional conflict by a temporary alteration in consciousness or identity
- Amnesia that prevents recall of yesterday's auto accident
- Adult remembers nothing of childhood sexual abuse

Front 7

Fixation

Back 7

Immobilization of a portion of the personality resulting from unsuccessful completion of tasks in a developmental stage
- Never learning to delay gratification
- Lack of a clear sense of identity as an adult

Front 8

Identification

Back 8

Modeling actions and opinions of influential others while searching for identity, or aspiring to reach a personal, social, or occupational goal
- Nursing student becoming a critical care nurse because this is the specialty of an instructor she admires

Front 9

Intellectualization

Back 9

Separation of the emotions of a painful event or situation from the facts involved; acknowledging the facts but not the emotions
- Person shows no emotional expression when discussing serious car accident

Front 10

Introjection

Back 10

Accepting another person's attitudes, beliefs, and values as one's own
- Person who dislikes guns becomes an avid hunter, just like a best friend

Front 11

Projection

Back 11

Unconscious blaming of unacceptable inclinations or thoughts on an external object
- Man who has thought about same-gender sexual relationship, but never had one, beats a man who is gay.
- Person with many prejudices loudly identifies others as bigots

Front 12

Rationalization

Back 12

Excusing own behavior to avoid guilt, responsibility, conflict, anxiety, or loss of self-respect
- Student blames failure on teacher being mean
- Man says he beats his wife because she doesn't listen to him

Front 13

Reaction formation

Back 13

Acting the opposite of what one thinks or feels
- Woman who never wanted to have children becomes a supermom
- Person who despises the boss tells everyone what a great boss she is

Front 14

Regression

Back 14

Moving back to a previous developmental stage to feel safe or have needs met
- Five-year-old asks for a bottle when new baby brother is being fed
- Man pouts like a 4-year-old if he is not the center of his girlfriend's attention

Front 15

Repression

Back 15

Excluding emotionally painful or anxiety-provoking thoughts and feelings from conscious awareness
- Woman has no memory of the mugging she suffered yesterday
- Woman has no memory before age 7, when she was removed from abusive parents

Front 16

Resistance

Back 16

Overt or covert antagonism toward remembering or processing anxiety-producing information
- Nurse is too busy with tasks to spend time talking to a dying patient
- Person attends court-ordered treatment for alcoholism but refuses to participate

Front 17

Sublimation

Back 17

Substituting a socially acceptable activity for an impulse that is unacceptable
- Person who has quit smoking sucks on hard candy when the urge to smoke arises
- Person goes for a 15-minute walk when tempted to eat junk food

Front 18

Substitution

Back 18

Replacing the desired gratification with one that is more readily available
- Woman who would like to have her own children opens a day care center

Front 19

Suppression

Back 19

Conscious exclusion of unacceptable thoughts and feelings from conscious awareness
- Student decides not to think about a parent's illness to study for a test
- Woman tells a friend she cannot think about her son's death right now

Front 20

Undoing

Back 20

Exhibiting acceptable behavior to make up for or negate unacceptable behavior
- Person who cheats on a spouse brings the spouse a bouquet of roses
- Man who is ruthless in business donates large amounts of money to charity