NUR 375 - EXAM 1 DEFENSE MECHANISMS Flashcards
1
Q
ALTRUISM
A
- dealing with anxiety by reaching out to others
2
Q
SUBLIMATION
A
- re-channeling of drives or impulses that are personally or socially unacceptable into activities that are constructive
- ex: mother whose son was killed by drunk driver becomes president of the local chapter of mothers against drunk driving
3
Q
SUPPRESSION
A
- conscious denial of a disturbing situation or feeling
- ex: “I don’t want to think about that now. I’ll think about that tomorrow.”
4
Q
REPRESSION
A
- involuntarily blocking of unpleasant or unwanted experiences, emotions, or ideas from conscious awareness
- ex: accident victim can remember nothing about his accident
5
Q
REGRESSION
A
- sudden child-like or primitive behaviors that do not correlate with person’s current developmental level
6
Q
DISPLACEMENT
A
- transferring of feelings from one target to another
- ex: patient is angry with his provider and does not express it, but then becomes verbally abusive with his nurse
7
Q
REACTION FORMATION
A
- unacceptable feelings or behaviors are kept out of awareness by developing opposite behavior
- ex: young soldier who has extreme fear of participating in military combat volunteers for dangerous front-line duty
8
Q
UNDOING
A
- symbolically negating or cancelling out a previous action or experience one finds intolerable
- ex: Joe is nervous about his new job and yells at his wife. on his way home he stops and buys her flowers
9
Q
RATIONALIZATION
A
- attempt to make excuses or formulate logical reasons to justify unacceptable behavior
- ex: I drink because it’s the only way I can deal with my bad marriage
10
Q
DENIAL
A
- pretending the truth is not reality
- ex: drinking alcohol everyday and cannot stop and admit they have a problem
11
Q
COMPENSATION
A
- emphasizing strengths to make up for weaknesses
- ex: handicapped boy unable to participate in sports becomes a great scholar
12
Q
IDENTIFICATION
A
- conscious or unconscious assumption of the characteristics of another individual or group
- ex: teenager who required lengthy PT after car accident then studies to become a PT
13
Q
INTELLECTUALIZATION
A
- separation of emotions and logical facts when analyzing or coping with a situation or event
- ex: hides anxiety while explaining advantages of moving to a new city where her husband has a new job
14
Q
SPLITTING
A
- demonstrating the ability to reconcile negative and positive attributes of self or others
15
Q
PROJECTION
A
- attributing one’s acceptable thoughts and feelings onto another who does not have them
- Sue feels a strong attraction to her track coach and tells her friend “he’s coming onto me”
