thesis defense mechanism

• DOI: 10.1111/J.1751-9004.2008.00135.X
• Corpus ID: 35737666

Seven Pillars of Defense Mechanism Theory

• Published 1 September 2008
• Social and Personality Psychology Compass

Figures from this paper

94 Citations

Heavy study investment: an analysis of the defense mechanisms characterizing studyholism and study engagement.

• Highly Influenced

The relationship between defense mechanisms and religious coping using a new two-factor solution for the Defense Style Questionnaire-40.

Defensive functioning in individuals with borderline personality organization in the light of empirical research, emotion regulation and defense mechanisms, what do therapist defense mechanisms have to do with their experience of professional self-doubt and vicarious trauma during the covid-19 pandemic, in self-defense: disruptions in the sense of self, lateralization, and primitive defenses, the image schemas of container and source-path-goal in the theory of psychodynamic defense mechanisms, the personality structure and defense mechanism of the main character in the euphoria series (2019), psychometric properties of the defense mechanisms rating scales-self-report-30 (dmrs-sr-30): internal consistency, validity and factor structure, maladaptive (dark-side) and adaptive (bright-side) personality traits and defense styles., 83 references, defense mechanisms, behavior, and affect in young adulthood., ego mechanisms of defense and personality psychopathology, ego mechanisms of defense: a guide for clinicians and researchers, defense mechanisms and personality disorders., the development of defense mechanisms.

• Highly Influential

Defense mechanisms and physiological reactivity to stress.

An empirical study of the relationship between diagnosis and defense style., defense of self-esteem, defense of self-consistency: a new voice in an old controversy, the relation between defense use and adaptive behavior, defense style in personality disorders: an empirical study, related papers.

Showing 1 through 3 of 0 Related Papers

• Bipolar Disorder
• Therapy Center
• When To See a Therapist
• Types of Therapy
• Best Online Therapy
• Best Couples Therapy
• Best Family Therapy
• Managing Stress
• Sleep and Dreaming
• Understanding Emotions
• Self-Improvement
• Healthy Relationships
• Student Resources
• Personality Types
• Sweepstakes
• Guided Meditations
• Verywell Mind Insights
• 2024 Verywell Mind 25
• Mental Health in the Classroom
• Editorial Process
• Meet Our Review Board
• Crisis Support

20 Defense Mechanisms We Use to Protect Ourselves

Which of these is your go-to?

• Main Defense Mechanisms
• Other Defense Mechanisms
• How They Work
• Coping Tips

Some of the best-known defense mechanisms have become a common part of everyday language. For example, you might describe someone as being "in denial" of a problem they face. When someone falls back into old ways of doing things, you might term them as "regressing" into an earlier point of development. Defense mechanisms are unconscious psychological responses that protect people from feelings of anxiety, threats to self-esteem , and things that they don't want to think about or deal with.

Defense Mechanisms vs. Defence Mechanisms

In the U.S., the term "defense mechanisms" is spelled with an 's' in defense. However, in other areas of the world, it is spelled with a 'c.' If you live in the U.K., for instance, the spelling is "defence mechansms." So, you may see it spelled either way.

Defense mechanisms were first described by  Sigmund Freud  in his psychoanalytic theory. According to Freud, these mechanisms protect the conscious mind from contradictions between the animalistic id and the idealistic superego, ultimately contributing to "mental homeostasis."

AleksandarGeorgiev / Getty Images

10 Key Defense Mechanisms

Freud's daughter,  Anna Freud , expanded on her father's theory by describing 10 different defense mechanisms used by the ego. When reading through them, consider whether you use any in your own life.

Displacement

Have you ever had a really bad day at work, then went home and took out your frustration on family and friends? If you answered yes, you have experienced the ego defense mechanism of  displacement .

Displacement involves taking out our frustrations, feelings, and impulses on people or objects that are less threatening.

Displaced  aggression  is a common example of this defense mechanism. Rather than express your anger in ways that could lead to negative consequences (like arguing with your boss), you instead express your anger toward a person or object that poses no threat (such as your spouse, children, or pets).

Denial , probably one of the best-known defense mechanisms, is an outright refusal to admit or recognize that something has occurred or is currently occurring. It functions to protect the ego from things with which the person cannot cope and is used often to describe situations in which people seem unable to face reality or admit an obvious truth (e.g., "They're in denial").

For example, people living with drug or alcohol addiction often deny that they have a problem, while victims of traumatic events may deny that the event ever occurred.

While it may temporarily shield you from anxiety or pain, denial also requires a substantial investment of energy. Because of this, other defenses are used to help keep these unacceptable feelings from  conscious  awareness.

In many cases, there might be overwhelming evidence that something is true, yet the person will continue to deny its existence or truth because it is too uncomfortable to face.

Denial can involve a flat-out rejection of the existence of a fact or reality. In other cases, it might involve admitting that something is true, but minimizing its importance. Sometimes people will accept reality and the seriousness of the fact, but they will deny their own responsibility and instead blame other people or other outside forces.

Repression acts to keep information out of conscious awareness. However, these memories don't just disappear; they continue to influence our behavior. For example, a person who has repressed memories of abuse suffered as a child may later have difficulty forming relationships.

Suppression

Sometimes you might repress information consciously by forcing the unwanted information out of your awareness. This is known as  suppression . In most cases, however, this removal of anxiety-provoking memories from awareness is believed to occur unconsciously.

Sublimation

Sublimation  is a defense mechanism that allows us to act out unacceptable impulses by converting these behaviors into a more acceptable form. For example, a person experiencing extreme anger might take up kickboxing as a means of venting frustration.

Freud believed that sublimation was a sign of maturity and allows people to function normally in socially acceptable ways.

Projection  is a defense mechanism that involves taking your own unacceptable qualities or feelings and ascribing them to other people. For example, if you have a strong dislike for someone, you might instead believe that they do not like you.

Projection works by allowing the expression of the desire or impulse, but in a way that the ego cannot recognize, therefore reducing anxiety.

Intellectualization

Intellectualization works to reduce anxiety by thinking about events in a cold, clinical way. This defense mechanism allows us to avoid thinking about the stressful, emotional aspect of the situation and instead focus only on the intellectual component.

For example, a person who has just been diagnosed with a terminal illness might focus on learning everything about the disease in order to avoid distress and remain distant from the reality of the situation and their feelings about it.

Rationalization

Rationalization is a defense mechanism that involves explaining an unacceptable behavior or feeling in a rational or logical manner, avoiding the true reasons for the behavior.

For example, a person who is turned down for a date might rationalize the situation by saying they were not attracted to the other person anyway. A student might rationalize a poor exam score by blaming the instructor rather than admitting their own lack of preparation.

Rationalization not only prevents anxiety, but it may also protect self-esteem and self-concept .

When trying to explain success or failure, people using this defense mechanism tend to attribute achievement to their own qualities and skills while failures are blamed on other people or outside forces.

When confronted by stressful events, people sometimes abandon coping strategies and revert to patterns of behavior used earlier in development. Anna Freud called this defense mechanism  regression and suggested that people act out behaviors from the  stage of psychosexual development  in which they are fixated.

For example, an individual fixated at an earlier developmental stage might cry or sulk upon hearing unpleasant news.

According to Freud, behaviors associated with regression can vary greatly depending on the stage at which a person is fixated. For example, an individual fixated at the oral stage might begin eating or smoking excessively, or might become verbally aggressive. A fixation at the anal stage might result in excessive tidiness or messiness.

Reaction Formation

Reaction formation  reduces anxiety by taking up the opposite feeling, impulse, or behavior. An example of reaction formation would be treating someone you strongly dislike in an excessively friendly manner in order to hide your true feelings.

Why do people behave this way? According to Freud, they are using reaction formation as a defense mechanism to hide their true feelings by behaving in the exact opposite manner.

7 Main Defense Mechanisms

This list is sometimes shortened to provide only seven main defense mechanisms, which are denial, displacement, projection, rationalization, reaction formation, repression, and sublimation.

10 Other Common Defense Mechanisms

Since Freud first described the original defense mechanisms, other researchers have continued to describe other methods of reducing anxiety. Some of these defense mechanisms include:

• Acting out : Coping with stress by engaging in actions rather than acknowledging and bearing certain feelings. For example, instead of telling someone that you are angry with them, you might yell at them or throw something against the wall.
• Aim inhibition : Accepting a modified form of their original goal. An example of this would be becoming a high school basketball coach rather than a professional athlete.
• Altruism : Satisfying internal needs through helping others. For example, someone recovering from substance use might volunteer to help others in recovery as a way to deal with drug cravings.
• Avoidance : Refusing to deal with or encounter unpleasant objects or situations. For example, rather than discuss a problem with someone, you might simply start avoiding them altogether so you don't have to deal with the issue.
• Compensation : Overachieving in one area to compensate for failures in another. For example, someone who feels insecure academically might compensate by excelling in athletics.
• Dissociation : Becoming separated or removed from your experience. When dealing with something stressful, for example, you might mentally and emotionally disengage yourself from the situation.
• Fantasy : Avoiding reality by retreating to a safe place within your mind. When something in your life is causing anxiety, you might retreat to your inner world where the cause of the stress cannot harm you.
• Humor : Pointing out the funny or ironic aspects of a situation. An example of this might be cracking a joke in a stressful or traumatic situation.
• Passive-aggression : Indirectly expressing anger. Instead of telling someone that you are upset, for example, you might give them the silent treatment.
• Undoing : Trying to make up for what you feel are inappropriate thoughts, feelings, or behaviors. For example, if you hurt someone's feelings, you might offer to do something nice for them to assuage your anxiety or guilt.

While defense mechanisms are often thought of as negative reactions, we all need them to temporarily ease stress and protect self-esteem during critical times, allowing us to focus on what is necessary at the moment.

Some of these defenses can be more helpful than others. For example, utilizing humor to overcome a stressful, anxiety-provoking situation can actually be an adaptive defense mechanism.

There are many different types of defense mechanisms that can be used to protect the ego from anxiety. Some of these can be healthier and more helpful than others.

How Do Defense Mechanisms Work?

In Sigmund Freud's model of personality, the  ego  is the aspect of personality that deals with reality. While doing this, the ego also has to cope with the conflicting demands of the id and the superego. 

• The id : The part of the personality that seeks to fulfill all wants, needs, and impulses. The id is the most basic, primal part of our personalities and does not consider things such as social appropriateness, morality, or even the reality of fulfilling our wants and needs.
• The superego : The part of the personality that tries to get the ego to act in an idealistic and moral manner. The superego is made up of all the internalized morals and values we acquire from our parents, other family members, religious influences, and society.

To deal with anxiety, Freud believed that defense mechanisms helped shield the ego from the conflicts created by the  id, superego, and reality . So what happens when the ego cannot deal with the demands of our desires, the constraints of reality, and our own moral standards?

According to Freud, anxiety is an unpleasant inner state that people seek to avoid. Anxiety acts as a signal to the ego that things are not going the way they should. As a result, the ego employs some sort of defense mechanism to help reduce these feelings of anxiety .

Types of Anxiety

Not all types of anxiety are created equal. Nor do these anxieties stem from the same sources. Freud identified three types of anxiety :

• Moral anxiety : A fear of violating our own moral principles
• Neurotic anxiety : The unconscious worry that we will lose control of the id's urges, resulting in punishment for inappropriate behavior
• Reality anxiety : Fear of real-world events. The cause of this anxiety is usually easily identified. For example, a person might fear a dog bite when they are near a menacing dog. The most common way of reducing this anxiety is to avoid the threatening object.

Although we may knowingly use coping mechanisms to manage anxiety, in many cases, these defenses work  unconsciously  to distort reality.

Coping With Unhealthy Defense Mechanisms

While all defense mechanisms can be unhealthy, they can also be adaptive and allow us to function normally. For example, altruism, humor, sublimation, and suppression are four mature defense mechanisms that signal higher adaptiveness.

At the same time, problems can arise when defense mechanisms are overused in an attempt to avoid dealing with problems. To keep this from happening to you, here are a few ways to cope with unhealthy defenses.

• Develop greater self-awareness . Self-awareness helps you identify when you may be using one or more defense mechanisms too often. Once you take this step, you know where you need to make changes.
• Learn effective coping skills . If you have an unhealthy defense mechanism, learning new coping skills can help you better deal with uncomfortable emotions. Coping skills include meditation, establishing healthy boundaries, and asking for support.
• Seek mental health therapy . Psychoanalytic therapy can help you uncover your unconscious defense mechanisms and find better, healthier ways of coping with anxiety and distress. According to licensed psychologist David Susman, PhD, "cognitive-behavioral therapy could also be helpful in addressing maladaptive use of defense mechanisms, since defense mechanisms can often contribute to irrational thoughts and beliefs as well as problematic or impulsive behaviors," he says. "For example, someone who uses denial in the face of a diagnosis of a serious medical condition may delay or avoid going to the doctor by mentally discounting the seriousness of the health issue."

Cognitive-behavioral therapy could also be helpful in addressing maladaptive use of defense mechanisms, since defense mechanisms can often contribute to irrational thoughts and beliefs as well as problematic or impulsive behaviors.

Keep in Mind

Remember, defense mechanisms can be both good and bad. They can serve a helpful role by protecting your ego from stress and providing a healthy outlet. In other instances, these defense mechanisms might hold you back from facing reality and can act as a form of self-deception.

If you notice that the overuse of certain defense mechanisms is having a negative impact on your life, consider consulting with a mental health professional. Psychotherapy may help whether you pursue a traditional face-to-face treatment or an online therapy option.

Get Help Now

We've tried, tested, and written unbiased reviews of the best online therapy programs including Talkspace, Betterhelp, and Regain. Find out which option is the best for you.

Cramer P. Understanding defense mechanisms . Psychodyn Psychiatry . 2015;43(4):523-52. doi:10.1521/pdps.2015.43.4.523

Waqas A, Rehman A, Malik A, Muhammad U, Khan S, Mahmood N. Association of ego defense mechanisms with academic performance, anxiety and depression in medical students: A mixed methods study . Cureus . 2015;7(9):e337. doi:10.7759/cureus.337

Corey, G. Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy (8th ed.) .

Macdonald K, Thomas ML, Sciolla AF, et al. Minimization of childhood maltreatment is common and consequential: Results from a large, multinational sample using the childhood trauma questionnaire . PLoS ONE . 2016;11(1):e0146058. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0146058

Malle BF, Guglielmo S, Monroe AE. A theory of blame .  Psychological Inquiry . 2014;25(2):147-186. doi:10.1080/1047840X.2014.877340

Anderson MC, Huddleston E. Towards a cognitive and neurobiological model of motivated forgetting .  True and False Recovered Memories. 2011:53-120. doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-1195-6_3

Kim E, Zeppenfeld V, Cohen D.  Sublimation, culture, and creativity . J Pers Soc Psychol . 2013;105(4):639-66. doi:10.1037/a0033487

Vaillant GE. Ego Mechanisms of Defense, A Guide for Clinicans and Researchers . American Psychiatric Pub; 1992.

Di Giuseppe M, Perry JC. The hierarchy of defense mechanisms: Assessing defensive functioning with the defense mechanisms rating scales Q-sort . Front Psychol . 2021;12:718440. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.718440

Burgo, J. Why Do I Do That? Psychological Defense Mechanisms and the Hidden Ways They Shape Our Lives .

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Defense Mechanisms In Psychology Explained (+ Examples)

Saul Mcleod, PhD

Editor-in-Chief for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MRes, PhD, University of Manchester

Saul Mcleod, PhD., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years of experience in further and higher education. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology.

Learn about our Editorial Process

Olivia Guy-Evans, MSc

Associate Editor for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MSc Psychology of Education

Olivia Guy-Evans is a writer and associate editor for Simply Psychology. She has previously worked in healthcare and educational sectors.

On This Page:

Sigmund Freud (1894, 1896) noted a number of ego defenses, which he refers to throughout his written works.  His daughter Anna Freud (1936) developed these ideas and elaborated on them, adding ten of her own.  Many psychoanalysts have also added further types of ego defenses.

Defense mechanisms are psychological strategies that are unconsciously used to protect a person from anxiety arising from unacceptable thoughts or feelings. According to Freudian theory, defense mechanismss involve a distortion of relaity in wome way so that we are better able to cope with a situation.

10 Defense Mechanisms: What Are They and How They Help Us Cope

We use defense mechanisms to protect ourselves from feelings of anxiety or guilt, which arise because we feel threatened, or because our id or superego becomes too demanding.

Defense mechanisms operate at an unconscious level and help ward off unpleasant feelings (i.e., anxiety) or make good things feel better for the individual.

Ego-defense mechanisms are natural and normal.  When they get out of proportion (i.e., used with frequency), neuroses develop, such as anxiety states, phobias, obsessions, or hysteria.

Here are a few common defense mechanisms: There are a large number of defense mechanisms; the main ones are summarized below.

Denial is a defense mechanism proposed by Anna Freud which involves a refusal to accept reality, thus blocking external events from awareness.

If a situation is just too much to handle, the person may respond by refusing to perceive it or by denying that it exists.

As you might imagine, this is a primitive and dangerous defense – no one disregards reality and gets away with it for long!  It can operate by itself or, more commonly, in combination with other, more subtle mechanisms that support it.

What is an example of denial?

Many people use denial in their everyday lives to avoid dealing with painful feelings or areas of their life they don’t wish to admit.

For example, a husband may refuse to recognize obvious signs of his wife’s infidelity. A student may refuse to recognize their obvious lack of preparedness for an exam!

Repression is an unconscious defense mechanism employed by the ego to keep disturbing or threatening thoughts from becoming conscious.

Repression, which Anna Freud also called “motivated forgetting,” is just that: not being able to recall a threatening situation, person, or event. Thoughts that are often repressed are those that would result in feelings of guilt from the superego.

This is not a very successful defense in the long term since it involves forcing disturbing wishes, ideas or memories into the unconscious, where, although hidden, they will create anxiety.

Repressed memories may appear through subconscious means and in altered forms, such as dreams or slips of the tongue ( Freudian slips ).

What is an example of repression?

For example, in the oedipus complex , aggressive thoughts about the same sex parents are repressed and pushed down into the unconscious.

Projection is a psychological defense mechanism proposed by Anna Freud in which an individual attributes unwanted thoughts, feelings and motives onto another person.

Projection, which Anna Freud also called displacement outward, is almost the complete opposite of turning against the self. It involves the tendency to see your own unacceptable desires in other people.

In other words, the desires are still there, but they’re not your desires anymore.

What is an example of projection?

Thoughts most commonly projected onto another are the ones that would cause guilt such as aggressive and sexual fantasies or thoughts.

For instance, you might hate someone, but your superego tells you that such hatred is unacceptable.  You can ‘solve’ the problem by believing that they hate you.

Displacement

Displacement is the redirection of an impulse (usually aggression) onto a powerless substitute target. The target can be a person or an object that can serve as a symbolic substitute.

Displacement occurs when the Id wants to do something which the Superego does not permit. The Ego thus finds some other way of releasing the psychic energy of the Id. Thus there is a transfer of energy from a repressed object-cathexis to a more acceptable object.

Turning against the self is a very special form of displacement, where the person becomes their own substitute target.

It is normally used in reference to hatred, anger, and aggression, rather than more positive impulses, and it is the Freudian explanation for many of our feelings of inferiority, guilt, and depression.

The idea that depression is often the result of the anger we refuse to acknowledge is accepted by many people, Freudians and non-Freudians alike.

What is an example of displacement?

Someone who feels uncomfortable with their sexual desire for a real person may substitute a fetish.

Someone who is frustrated by his or her superiors may go home and kick the dog, beat up a family member, or engage in cross-burnings.

Regression is a defense mechanism proposed by Anna Freud whereby the the ego reverts to an earlier stage of development usually in response to stressful situations.

Regression functions as a form of retreat, enabling a person to psychologically go back in time to a period when the person felt safer.

What is an example of regression?

When we are troubled or frightened, our behaviors often become more childish or primitive.

A child may begin to suck their thumb again or wet the bed when they need to spend some time in the hospital.  Teenagers may giggle uncontrollably when introduced into a social situation involving the opposite sex.

Sublimation

Sublimation is similar to displacement, but takes place when we manage to displace our unacceptable emotions into behaviors which are constructive and socially acceptable, rather than destructive activities. Sublimation is one of Anna Freud’s original defense mechanisms.

Sublimation for Freud was the cornerstone of civilized life, as arts and science are all sublimated sexuality.  (NB. this is a value-laden concept, based on the aspirations of European society at the end of the 1800 century).

What is an example of sublimation?

Many great artists and musicians have had unhappy lives and have used the medium of art of music to express themselves.  Sport is another example of putting our emotions (e.g., aggression) into something constructive.

For example, fixation at the oral stage of development may later lead to seeking oral pleasure as an adult through sucking one’s thumb, pen or cigarette.  Also, fixation during the anal stage may cause a person to sublimate their desire to handle faeces with an enjoyment of pottery.

Rationalization

Rationalization is a defense mechanism proposed by Anna Freud involving a cognitive distortion of “the facts” to make an event or an impulse less threatening. We do it often enough on a fairly conscious level when we provide ourselves with excuses.

But for many people, with sensitive egos, making excuses comes so easy that they never are truly aware of it.  In other words, many of us are quite prepared to believe our lies.

What is an example of rationalization?

When a person finds a situation difficult to accept, they will make up a logical reason why it has happened. For example, a person may explain a natural disaster as “God’s will”.

Reaction Formation

Reaction formation, which Anna Freud called “believing the opposite,” is a psychological defense mechanism in which a person goes beyond denial and behaves in the opposite way to which he or she thinks or feels.

Conscious behaviors are adopted to overcompensate for the anxiety a person feels regarding their socially unacceptable unconscious thoughts or emotions.

Usually, a reaction formation is marked by exaggerated behavior, such as showiness and compulsiveness.

By using the reaction formation, the id is satisfied while keeping the ego in ignorance of the true motives.

Therapists often observe reaction formation in patients who claim to strongly believe in something and become angry at everyone who disagrees.

What is an example of reaction formation?

Freud claimed that men who are prejudiced against homosexuals are making a defense against their own homosexual feelings by adopting a harsh anti-homosexual attitude which helps convince them of their heterosexuality.

Another example of reaction formation includes the dutiful daughter who loves her mother is reacting to her Oedipus hatred of her mother.

Introjection

Introjection, sometimes called identification, involves taking into your own personality characteristics of someone else, because doing so solves some emotional difficulty.

Introjection is very important to Freudian theory as the mechanism by which we develop our superegos.

What is an example of introjection?

A child who is left alone frequently, may in some way try to become “mom” in order to lessen his or her fears. You can sometimes catch them telling their dolls or animals not to be afraid. And we find the older child or teenager imitating his or her favorite star, musician, or sports hero in an effort to establish an identity.

Identification with the Aggressor

Identification with the aggressor is a defense mechanism proposed by Sandor Ferenczi and later developed by Anna Freud.

It involves the victim adopting the behavior of a person who is more powerful and hostile towards them.

By internalizing the behavior of the aggressor the “victim” hopes to avoid abuse, as the aggressor may begin to feel an emotional connection with the victim which leads to feelings of empathy.

What is an example of identification with the aggressor?

Identification with the aggressor is a version of introjection that focuses on the adoption, not of general or positive traits, but of negative or feared traits. If you are afraid of someone, you can partially conquer that fear by becoming more like them.

An extreme example is Stockholm Syndrome , where hostages establish an emotional bond with their captor(s) and take on their behaviors.

Patty Hearst was abused by her captors, yet she joined their Symbionese Liberation Army and even took part in one of their bank robberies.  At her trial, she was acquitted because she was a victim suffering from Stockholm Syndrome.

Ferenczi, S. (1933). Confusion of tongues between adults and the child (pp. 156-67) .

Freud, A. (1937). The Ego and the mechanisms of defense , London: Hogarth Press and Institute of Psycho-Analysis.

Freud, S. (1894). The neuro-psychoses of defence . SE, 3: 41-61.

Freud, S. (1896). Further remarks on the neuro-psychoses of defense . SE, 3: 157-185.

Freud, S. (1933). New introductory lectures on psychoanalysis . London: Hogarth Press and Institute of Psycho-Analysis. Pp. xi + 240.

Paulhus, D. L., Fridhandler, B., & Hayes, S. (1997). Psychological defense: Contemporary theory and research. In R. Hogan, J. A. Johnson, & S. R. Briggs (Eds.), Handbook of personality psychology (pp. 543-579). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-012134645-4/50023-8

Further Reading

• Name the Defense Mechanism Activity
• BPS Article on Repression
• Cramer, P. (2015). Understanding defense mechanisms. Psychodynamic Psychiatry, 43(4), 523-552.
• Freudian Defense Mechanisms and Empirical Findings in Modern Social Psychology: Reaction Formation, Projection, Displacement, Undoing, Isolation, Sublimation, and Denial
• Defense Mechanisms Summary Table

The Development of Defense Mechanisms

Theory, Research, and Assessment

• © 1991
• Phebe Cramer 0

Department of Psychology, Williams College, Williamstown, USA

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

6091 Accesses

150 Citations

1 Altmetric

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this book

Subscribe and save.

• Get 10 units per month
• Download Article/Chapter or eBook
• 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
• Cancel anytime
• Available as EPUB and PDF
• Read on any device
• Instant download
• Own it forever
• Compact, lightweight edition
• Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
• Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access

Licence this eBook for your library

Institutional subscriptions

About this book

Similar content being viewed by others.

Defense Mechanisms and Personality Disorders

Psychosocial Sciences: Theories and Applications

New Perspectives in Cognitive Theory and Therapy

• Abwehrmechanismus
• Freud, Sigmund
• Sigmund Freud
• Unconscious
• Verleugnung
• defence mechanisms
• development
• personality
• psychopathology

Table of contents (14 chapters)

Front matter, the concept of defense.

Phebe Cramer

The Concept of Defense Mechanism Development

Identification, research: a review of the literature, approaches to measuring defenses: the defense mechanisms inventory, other approaches to measuring defenses: derived questionnaires, self-report inventories, and self-other ratings, other approaches to measuring defenses: story completion and clinical interviews, other approaches to measuring defenses: projective tests and perceptual defense paradigms, summary of research: defense mechanisms and their relationship to other psychological variables, experimental studies of defense, a new approach to measuring defenses, the defense mechanism manual, psychometric features, research findings, back matter, authors and affiliations, bibliographic information.

Book Title : The Development of Defense Mechanisms

Book Subtitle : Theory, Research, and Assessment

Authors : Phebe Cramer

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-9025-1

Publisher : Springer New York, NY

eBook Packages : Springer Book Archive

Copyright Information : Springer-Verlag New York Inc. 1991

Softcover ISBN : 978-1-4613-9027-5 Published: 08 November 2011

eBook ISBN : 978-1-4613-9025-1 Published: 06 December 2012

Edition Number : 1

Number of Pages : XIII, 338

Topics : Psychology, general , Statistics for Social Sciences, Humanities, Law

• Publish with us

Policies and ethics

• Find a journal
• Track your research

Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer.

To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds to  upgrade your browser .

Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link.

• We're Hiring!
• Help Center

DEFENSE MECHANISM IN THE MAIN CHARACTER OF TENNESSEE WILLIAMS' A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE

Related Papers

farhan mutawakkil

(Penulis adalah seorang Magister Pendidikan Seni) Sigmund Freud lahir di Moravia pada tahun 1856. Pada akhir abad kesembilan belas, Freud mulai memformulasikan teorinya yang kontroversial mengenai seksualitas infantil dan interpretasi mimpi, keduanya merupakan pusat teori psikoanalisis. Psikoanalisis memberikan gagasan yang mendasar bahwa semua pikiran dan tindakan sadar adalah proses yang tidak disadari yang diringkas dalam frase pikiran yang tidak sadar. Perilaku dalam kehidupan sehari-hari merupakan perilaku sadar dalam ketidaksadaran. Represi atas ketidaksadaran akan termanifestasikan dalam perilaku tidak sadar seperti pada keseleo lidah, kekeliruan perilaku, fantasi, dan mimpi. Tekanan-tekanan psikologis dalam diri seniman dapat berupa harapan, impian, cita-cita, keinginan, perasaan senang atau tidak senang, pengalaman traumatis, kecemasan neurotik (anxiety), ketakutan (pobhia), baik dalam kehidupan pribadi maupun dalam kehidupan sosialnya. Proses represi terhadap libido oleh fiksasi terendap dalam alam bawah sadar oleh seniman, energinya diubah dalam proses berkarya seni. Simbol-simbol yang tertuang dalam seni surealistis merupakan gambaran sederhana dari dorongan libido dan merupakan kode yang perlu dipecahkan oleh audiens tentang apa yang terkandung dalam karya seni.

Daniyal Wali

Albert Rothenberg

Capture : Jurnal Seni Media Rekam

Anton Sutandio

Black Swan is a psychological horror movie by Darren Aronofsky. This movie tells of a ballerina named Nina Sayers, who desires to be a perfect ballerina. On her way to achieving her desire, Nina experiences psychological problems where she often hallucinates and even hurts herself. It results from Nina’s anxiety that causes her to be afraid that her desire will not be fulfilled. This article aims to examine Nina’s psychological state during the process of achieving her dreams. To reveal the psychological issues experienced by Nina, a characteristic analysis was carried out using Sigmund Freud’s theory of psychoanalysis, the theory of human defense mechanisms, and the cinematographic aspects of this film. The results showed that uncontrolled desires could cause psychological disorders that influence a person’s characteristics.

International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Translation

anwar efendi

Women are the most potential victims of sexual harassment. What is often overlooked in the issue of sexual harassment is the psychological condition of women. Women victims of sexual harassment should get special attention from the surrounding environment because victims will experience trauma. One of the traumas that can be experienced by female victims of sexual abuse is traumatic pistanthrophobia. Pistanthrophobia is an excessive fear of trusting others. This study aims to determine the personality characteristics of female characters who experience traumatic pistanthrophobia psychoanalysis by Sigmund Freud in the novel Obsessive Loves by Shireishou. The research method used is descriptive qualitative. The data collection techniques used are tapping techniques and recording techniques. Researchers will tap into the meaning of Shireishou's novel Obsessive Loves by reading it carefully and repeatedly. The results of this study show that the personality characteristics of Syaira...

The phenomenon of anxiety is taken into account by a myriad of philosophical approaches and it is shown that this phenomenon has a crucial role in providing insights into the human being. Although lots of thinkers have their own contributions to the discussion on anxiety, very few have been able to change the course of the history of this discussion with such a groundbreaking thought as Freud's. He offers a novel approach to central questions concerning the role of anxiety in the construal of the human being. Freud's account on anxiety has been examined by many scholars but very few of them take anxiety into account regarding his theory of drives, because the death drive theory seemingly stands out from his understanding of anxiety. This paper claims that there is a connection between anxiety and Freud's theory of drives. In doing so, I will provide a different perspective on anxiety regarding the death drive (qua Thanatos) and the life drive (qua Eros) in order to enrich our understanding of Freud's account and try to respond some criticism of his understanding by showing how Freud's understanding of anxiety goes beyond the relation between mother and a child, or the Oedipus complex. Key Words: Anxiety, the death drive (qua Thanatos), the life drive (qua Eros), the Oedipus complex. Öz Kaygı olgusu pek çok felsefi yaklaşım tarafından ele alınmış ve gösterilmiştir ki bu olgu insanı anlama üzerine fikirler sağlamıştır. Gerçi pek çok düşünür kaygı tartışmasında kendi katkılarını verseler de ancak birkaçı Freud'unki gibi çığır açan bir fikirle bu tartışmanın seyrini değiştirebilmiştir. Freud insanın yorumlanmasında kaygının rolüyle ilgili esas sorulara yenilikçi bir yaklaşım sunmuştur. Freud'un kaygı anlayışı pek çok uzman tarafından incelenmiştir fakat çok azı kaygıyı onun dürtü teorisiyle birlikte ele almıştır çünkü ölüm dürtüsü teorisi görünürde kaygı anlayışının dışında durmaktadır. Bu makalede ise Freud'un dürtü teorisi ile kaygı anlayışı arasında bir bağ olduğu iddia edilecektir. Bunu yaparak, yaşam (Eros) ve ölüm (Thanatos) dürtüleriyle ilişkili olarak kaygı üzerine farklı bir bakış açısı sunulacak ve böylece Freud'un anlayışı zenginleştirilecek ve kaygı anlayışının nasıl anne ve çocuk ilişkisinin ya da Oedipus kompleksinin ötesine geçtiğini göstererek Freud üzerine genel bazı eleştirilere cevap verilecektir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Kaygı, ölüm dürtüsü (Thanatos), yaşam dürtüsü (Eros), Oedipus kompleks.

CONSEILS: Jurnal Bimbingan dan Konseling Islam

Whida Rositama

Penelitian ini mengangkat satu judul film, yaitu Secret Window yang mengandung isu permasalahan psikologis pada tokoh utamanya. Permasalahan tersebut mengarah pada gejala kecemasan dan mekanisme pertahanan yang ditunjukkan dalam beberapa adegan film. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah mengetahui bagaimana film Secret Window melukiskan kecemasan dan mekanisme pertahanan Morton Rainey sebagai tokoh utama serta bentuk mekanisme pertahanan yang dialami oleh Morton tersebut. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode analisis deskriptif dan teori psikoanalisa. Analisis menunjukkan bahwa kecemasan yang dialami oleh Mort adalah kecemasan moral dan realitas. Kemudian mekanisme pertahanan Morton Rainey terdiri atas represi, rasionalisasi, projeksi, pemindahan, dan penolakan. Simpulan dari penelitian ini adalah tokoh Morton Rainey mengalami gejala psikologis berupa kecemasan dan mekanisme pertahanan yang dilukiskan dalam ekspresi dan lakuan di dalam film Secret Window.

Handbook of Personality Psychology

Bram Fridhandler

Journal of Personality

Phebe Cramer

Angelica Garcia

Loading Preview

Sorry, preview is currently unavailable. You can download the paper by clicking the button above.

RELATED PAPERS

Jontau Hines

Prologue: Journal on Language and Literature

carmen bunu

Countertransference and Oedipal Love

Anna Maria Loiacono

Jurnal Antropologi Indonesia, 32 (2), 2012

Hizkia Yosias Polimpung

Caracteres Estudios culturales y críticos de la esfera digital

Andi Asrifan

Chennie Regala , Savipra Gorospe, C.Ht., RPm

Gayane Hovhannisyan

مجلة وادي النيل للدراسات والبحوث الإنسانية والاجتماعية والتربوية -المجلد 38، العدد 38-الجزء الأول (اللغات الأجنبية) الصفحة 143-164

Alamir Muhamad Hindawy

RumeliDE Dil ve Edebiyat Araştırmaları Dergisi

Jurnal Ilmiah Bina Bahasa

Neisya Neisya

Ingrid Iyunx

REGISTER Journal of English Language Teaching of FBS-Unimed

Eniwaty Silalahi

Comparative Drama

asri budiarto

Lisbern Shawn

Fahmi Abdul Fatah

Debbie Barry

Marfuah Unsayaini

Kasim Tatlilioğlu

Journal für Psychoanalyse

Vera Saller

Turkish Journal of Business Ethics

nüket saracel

The Psychoanalytic Quarterly

jeremy mack

RELATED TOPICS

•   We're Hiring!
•   Help Center
• Find new research papers in:
• Health Sciences
• Earth Sciences
• Cognitive Science
• Mathematics
• Computer Science
• Academia ©2024

• Stanford University
• Monday, August 12

PhD Dissertation Defense: Gustavo Chau Loo Kung

• Bioengineering

Monday, August 12, 2024 10:30am PT

In person and online

AllenX 101X

This event is open to: Everyone

Request disability accommodations and access info

• Share PhD Dissertation Defense: Gustavo Chau Loo Kung on Facebook
• Share PhD Dissertation Defense: Gustavo Chau Loo Kung on Twitter
• Share PhD Dissertation Defense: Gustavo Chau Loo Kung on LinkedIn

Event Details:

Title : Mapping Brain Tissue Microstructure in Epilepsy with Multi-modal MRI

Abstract : Developing non-invasive methods to reliably map features of brain tissue microstructure is valuable for early diagnosis and the investigation of brain mechanisms in both health and disease. In this regard, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) provides a unique ability to sensitize the signal to the presence of microstructural components within each voxel.

My doctoral work consists of three studies. First, we showed how diffusion-sensitized MRI can be used to discern microstructural abnormalities in the hippocampal subfields indicative of mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS). Our results suggest that diffusion metric analysis at the subfield level, especially in dentate gyrus, can be beneficial for clinical confirmation of MTS.

Second, we leveraged magnetization transfer and diffusion MRI for estimation of g-ratios across major white matter tracts in a mouse model of generalized epilepsy with progressive absence seizures. Our findings revealed widespread myelin structural changes that are specific to the absence seizure network and demonstrated the potential utility and importance of MRI-based g-ratio estimation to non-invasively detect myelin plasticity.

In the third study, we showed how deep learning can improve microstructural feature extraction from MRI data. We presented a novel approach that combines synthetic MRI generation and transfer learning to allow a reliable inference of brain tissue microstructure with a minimal amount of paired MRI-histology data. Our approach showed decreased error compared to biophysical model fitting and increased prediction capabilities that are consistent with electron microscopy validation and previous biological studies.

Please contact  Madelyn Bernstein  for the Zoom link