Overview
The lecture explores Anna Freud’s pioneering work on defence mechanisms, key psychological strategies the ego uses to protect itself, as outlined in her 1936 book.
Anna Freud: Background and Contributions
- Anna Freud was Sigmund Freud’s daughter and a major figure in psychoanalysis.
- She specialized in child psychoanalysis and worked with children traumatized by war and adversity.
- Her significant work focused on identifying and describing defence mechanisms.
Defence Mechanisms: Key Concepts
- Defence mechanisms are unconscious strategies to protect the ego from anxiety or unacceptable thoughts.
- While they provide short-term relief, overuse can hinder personal growth and dealing with reality.
Ten Major Defence Mechanisms
- Denial: Refusing to accept reality or acknowledge a problem exists.
- Projection: Attributing one’s own unacceptable feelings to someone else.
- Turning against the self: Blaming oneself rather than accepting painful truths about others.
- Sublimation: Redirecting unacceptable impulses into socially acceptable activities, often creative ones.
- Regression: Reverting to childlike behaviors and blaming others during stress.
- Rationalisation: Creating logical excuses to justify actions or events and protect self-esteem.
- Intellectualisation: Avoiding emotional distress by focusing on abstract or intellectual concepts.
- Reaction formation: Adopting behaviors opposite to one’s true feelings.
- Displacement: Redirecting emotions from a threatening target to a safer one.
- Fantasy: Escaping problems by imagining or daydreaming a different reality.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Ego — The part of the mind that mediates between conscious reality and unconscious desires.
- Defence Mechanism — Psychological strategies used unconsciously to protect the ego from distress.
- Sublimation — Transforming negative impulses into productive or creative outlets.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review the ten defence mechanisms and identify examples from your own experience.
- Read Anna Freud’s "The Ego and Mechanisms of Defence" for deeper understanding.
- Reflect on how these mechanisms might affect personal or interpersonal growth.