Psychoanalysis Defense Mechanisms 2

Question 1

What defense mechanism is operating when a person has no conscious memory of a traumatic event because the memory has been pushed out of awareness?

Accepted Answer

Repression

Answer

Suppression

Answer

Dissociation

Answer

Denial

Question 2

A patient discusses their terminal diagnosis in detached, clinical language with no visible emotional distress. This best illustrates:

Accepted Answer

Intellectualization

Answer

Denial

Answer

Repression

Answer

Suppression

Question 3

Which defense mechanism involves an individual reverting to behaviors characteristic of an earlier developmental stage when faced with stress, such as an adult throwing a temper tantrum?

Accepted Answer

Regression

Answer

Fixation

Answer

Repression

Answer

Undoing

Question 4

Splitting, as a defense mechanism, is characterized by:

Accepted Answer

Inability to integrate positive and negative qualities of self and others, perceiving them as all-good or all-bad

Answer

Dividing the self into multiple personalities to avoid trauma

Answer

Projecting negative qualities onto others while retaining positive ones

Answer

Separating emotional content from cognitive content in memory

Question 5

Which defense mechanism involves performing a ritual or symbolic act to cancel out or 'take back' a previous unacceptable thought or action?

Accepted Answer

Undoing

Answer

Reaction formation

Answer

Isolation of affect

Answer

Denial

Question 6

The defense mechanism of identification involves:

Accepted Answer

Unconsciously adopting the characteristics or values of another person to manage anxiety

Answer

Consciously imitating the behavior of a role model

Answer

Projecting one's own traits onto another person to reduce guilt

Answer

Merging one's sense of self with a larger group ideology

Question 7

Rationalization as a defense mechanism is best described as:

Accepted Answer

Constructing plausible-sounding justifications for behaviors actually driven by unconscious motives

Answer

Using logical reasoning to prevent emotional responses

Answer

Intellectually analyzing a problem to gain distance from it

Answer

Consciously deciding not to think about a disturbing event