Transcript Defence Mechanisms

Defence
Mechanisms
a way to protect our ego
What are Defence Mechanisms?
DEFINITION: unconscious mental processes that distort
reality in order to protect the ego against
anxiety, shame, or other unacceptable
feelings or thoughts
• Humans use defence mechanisms to deal with
problems, anxiety, and self-esteem issues
– these processes allow our mind to hide/change a
problem so that it won’t bother us in a conscious way
– we use defence mechanisms to varying extends
Defence Mechanisms
COMPENSATION
• Making up for a
weakness in one
area by excelling in
another
• EXAMPLE:
“I’m a lover, not a fighter”
Defence Mechanisms
DAYDREAMING
(aka. Escapism)
• Fantasizing to
escape reality
• EXAMPLE:
Thinking about the “big
dance,” rather than
focussing on the exam
tomorrow which is
causing you anxiety
Defence Mechanisms
DENIAL
• Refusing to
acknowledge
• EXAMPLE:
Denying that your
physician’s diagnosis
of cancer is correct.
Defence Mechanisms
DISPLACEMENT
• taking out impulses
on a less threatening
target
• EXAMPLE:
Slamming a door
instead of hitting a
person.
Defence Mechanisms
IDENTIFICATION
• Taking on the roles of
others
• EXAMPLE:
A school girl wants her
mother to buy her the
same kind of shoes
that her classmates
are wearing.
Defence Mechanisms
MINIMIZING
• “Writing off” problematic
events of behaviors as
being too minor to worry
about
• EXAMPLE:
Someone who has a
substance addiction
response to criticisms by
saying, “Oh its nothing; I
only do it socially, and
can quit whenever I
want.”
Defence Mechanisms
PROJECTION
• Putting your own faults
onto someone else
• EXAMPLE:
Having hostile feelings
about an acquaintance,
but saying instead that,
“He/She doesn’t like me.”
Defence Mechanisms
RATIONALIZATION
• Using an excuse to cope
with bad behaviour
• EXAMPLE:
Stating that you were fired
because you didn’t kiss
your boss, when the real
reason was that you
were showing up late.
Defence Mechanisms
REACTION
FORMATION
• Taking the opposite
belief because the true
belief causes you anxiety
• EXAMPLE:
A man violently dislikes an
employee; without being
aware of do so, he
“bends over backwards”
to not criticize the
employee and gives him
special privileges and
advances.
Defence Mechanisms
REGRESSION
• Reverting to
immature behaviour
to express your
emotions
• EXAMPLE:
Throwing a temper
tantrum when you
don’t get your way.
Defence Mechanisms
SUBLIMATION
• Acting out
unacceptable
impulses in a socially
acceptable way
• EXAMPLE:
Acting out on
aggressive impulses
by becoming a boxer.
Your Task…
What’s Our Defence Mechanism?
In small groups of 3 – 5, you will be assigned one defence
mechanism. Create a brief skit (2 – 3 mins.) that
demonstrates your understanding of this mechanism.
DO NOT TELL YOUR FELLOW CLASSMATES THE
DEFENCE MECHANISM YOU ARE PRESENTING!
It will be their job to guess after your presentation.
Your Task…continued
Evaluation
For this task, you will be given a group mark out
of 10 marks. This mark will be broken down as follows:
Knowledge & Understanding/ 5 marks
How well your skit demonstrates your understanding of
your chosen defence mechanism.
Communication / 5 marks
Your dramatic presentation (eye contact, level of voice,
length of presentation, etc.)
Which Defence Mechanism is it?
• Kati didn’t get her way. She stomped up the steps, threw her
stuffed animals around the room, and cried.
• Rob got a terrible report card. He became the best basketball
player on his team.
• Kristin imagined herself scoring the winning goal in the state
championship soccer game.
• Jarred was fired from his summer job because he was always late.
He said it was his mom’s fault for not waking him up on time.
• Mrs. Smith’s husband died 3 months ago. She still sets his place
at the dinner table.
Which Defence Mechanism is it?
• Debbie feels guilty for stealing some jewellery. She shows the
jewellery to her friends and brags about how she got it.
• Danny got into a lot of arguments, so he decided to join the debate
team.
• Heather was furious with her sister, so she screamed at the family
dog to get away from her.
• Denise likes a certain rock group so she dresses and talks like they
do.
• Tony stole five packs of baseball cards at a card show. He figured
it didn’t matter because the vendor had thousands of packs.
Individual Reflection
What is your defence mechanism?
Think back over your life experiences. Have you
ever caught yourself using one of Freud’s
defence mechanisms?
In a two (2) page, double-spaced reflection,
discuss your thoughts about Freud’s idea of
defence mechanisms and the mechanisms you
have used throughout your life and
experiences.
Application = / 10 marks