Overview
This lecture covers various psychological defense mechanisms, categorized as pathological, immature, neurotic, and mature, with definitions and practical examples for each group.
Categories of Defense Mechanisms
- Defense mechanisms are grouped into pathological, immature, neurotic, and mature types.
- Pathological defenses are the most maladaptive, followed by immature, neurotic, and finally mature, which are healthiest.
Pathological Defense Mechanisms
- Denial: Refusing to accept reality because it is too threatening.
- Splitting: Categorizing experiences or people as all good or all bad, common in borderline personality disorder.
Immature Defense Mechanisms
- Acting Out: Directly expressing unconscious desires or impulses without awareness.
- Idealization: Overestimating another’s positive qualities.
- Identification: Unconsciously modeling oneself after another, often negative role models (e.g., abused child becomes abuser).
- Passive Aggressiveness: Indirect expression of aggression, such as procrastination.
- Projection: Attributing one’s own unwanted thoughts or feelings to someone else.
Neurotic Defense Mechanisms
- Displacement: Redirecting emotions to a safer or less threatening target.
- Dissociation: Temporarily altering identity to avoid distress.
- Intellectualization: Focusing on facts or logic to avoid emotional distress.
- Isolation: Separating emotion from events or ideas.
- Rationalization: Creating justifications for negative outcomes or behaviors.
- Reaction Formation: Adopting thoughts or behaviors opposite to one’s true feelings.
- Regression: Reverting to childlike behaviors in response to stress.
- Repression: Unconsciously blocking distressing thoughts or memories.
Mature Defense Mechanisms
- Altruism: Deriving satisfaction from helping others.
- Humor: Finding amusement in distressing situations.
- Sublimation: Redirecting unacceptable impulses into socially acceptable activities.
- Suppression: Consciously choosing to delay dealing with distressing thoughts.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Defense Mechanism — Psychological strategies to cope with reality and maintain self-image.
- Pathological — Severely maladaptive, distorting reality.
- Immature — Less adaptive, common in childhood or personality disorders.
- Neurotic — Less severe, may be seen in normal individuals under stress.
- Mature — Most adaptive, promote healthy functioning.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Memorize the "SASH" mnemonic for mature defense mechanisms: Suppression, Altruism, Sublimation, Humor.
- Review examples of each defense mechanism and practice identifying them in case studies.