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Defense Mechanisms

The document defines and provides examples of 10 common defense mechanisms: compensation, daydreaming, denial, displacement, humor, identification, projection, rationalization, regression, and repression. It explains what each defense mechanism is and provides a brief example of when a student might use that mechanism. It also identifies situations where each defense mechanism could become unhealthy if used excessively or to avoid dealing with problems.

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477 views

Defense Mechanisms

The document defines and provides examples of 10 common defense mechanisms: compensation, daydreaming, denial, displacement, humor, identification, projection, rationalization, regression, and repression. It explains what each defense mechanism is and provides a brief example of when a student might use that mechanism. It also identifies situations where each defense mechanism could become unhealthy if used excessively or to avoid dealing with problems.

Uploaded by

api-263456844
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Defense Mechanisms

8.MEH.2.1

Defense Mechanism Example When is it Unhealthy?


Compensation- A person tries A student with a learning When someone does not try
to make up for his/her disability who struggles hard enough to overcome
weaknesses by developing academically becomes a his/her weaknesses.
strengths in other areas. leader in the art club.

Daydreaming- A person A student is very shy and does When someone refuses to
escapes unpleasant, boring, not talk much with peers at accept reality and spends an
or frustrating situations by school but imagines that he or enormous amount of time in
imagining that he or she is she is voted homecoming an imaginary world.
doing something else. king/queen.

Denial- Refusal to accept A student finds out that a When someone continues to
reality. relative has a terminal not accept the situation long
disease. He/she continues to after it has occurred.
act and talk like the relative
will live.

Displacement- A person A student is angry with a When someone continuously


transfers his/her emotions parent for something and yells takes his or her angry feelings
from a situation or object to at his/her brother/sister. out on an innocent person.
another situation or object.

Humor- A person focuses on A persons treatment for When someone refuses the
the funny aspects of a painful cancer makes him/her lose seriousness of the situation.
situation. their hair, so he/she makes
jokes about being bald.

Identification- A person tries A student wants to be like a When someone begins to


to assume the qualities of famous person, so they begin measure their own worth by
someone that is admired. to dress and talk the way that someone elses standards
person dresses and talks, in instead of seeing or
hopes of being just like this developing their own
person. strengths.

Projection- A person shifts the A student does poorly on a When someone refuses to
blame/responsibility for test and then states that the accept responsibility for
his/her actions or thoughts to teacher wrote an unfair test. his/her actions.
another person.
Rationalization- An attempt to A student justifies flunking When someone refuses to
justify ones actions with his/her math test because accept responsibility for
excuses rather than by he/she was absent the day it his/her actions.
admitting ones failure or was scheduled.
mistake.

Regression- Retreating to an A student is having trouble When someone refuses to


earlier time that seems less adjusting to middle school with move on and mature within a
threatening and requires less its challenges, great number reasonable amount of time.
responsibility. of students, and new
atmosphere. He/she goes
back and visits his/her former
teachers and principal in
elementary school and
entertains the idea that it
would be nice to stay there.

Repression- Blocking out A young woman is raped and When someone does not
thoughts about unpleasant she pushes the experience out recognize that they need to
things or experiences. of her mind to the point that accept what has happened,
Repression is actually an she does not think about it. especially if it is a situation
unconscious method of where he/she might need to
escaping something receive help.
unpleasant.

Sublimation- Transforming A student gets into a lot of When someone does not
unacceptable behaviors into arguments so he/she decides recognize that he/she needs
acceptable ones. Sublimation to join the debate team. to change their unacceptable
can involved redirecting behaviors into acceptable
specific behaviors. ones.

Suppression- The effort to hide A student is attracted to When someone never lets
and control unacceptable someone, but he/she says that his/her true feelings show.
thoughts and feelings. they do not like the person at
all.

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