Freud's defense mechanisms

Answer 1

I don't know if this is right and so you might want to look at other sources and compare.

According to Freud, the ego has developed what he calls defense mechanisms, to cover for the wild demands of the id, which would rarely be socially acceptable.

All of the defenses can be described as a combination of denial or repression with different ways of rationalization.

When we rationalize, we are distorting the facts to make the event or our own impulses less threatening; that is, diluting the anxiety to a manageable level. We often come to believe our own distortions, or excuses, or even lies.

http://people.emich.edu/pclark/freud/index.html

Answer 2

The defense mechanism that Freud defined states that anxiety is a sign to people that things are not going right. Since people typically do not want to experience anxiety the ego starts the defense mechanism to reduce the anxiety feelings. He believed that this defense mechanism would allow people to be able to better handle stressful situations. Some examples of this would be repression, denial, projection, displacement, regression, and sublimation.

Answer 3

1. Rationalization : justifying your actions in place of more real or threatening reasons. For example, I didn't do my homework last night because I was too tired or busy.

2. Displacement: shifting impulses onto or towards a less threatening object or person. For example, kicking your dog because your girlfriend broke up with you.

3. Regression: retreating to an infantile stage. For example, having a breakdown when you can't buy cookies at the grocery store.

4. Projection: disguising one's threatening impulses by attributing them to others. For example, let's say Sarah is in love with David, but she tells her friends that David is in love with her.

5. Reaction Formation: flipping an unacceptable impulse to its opposite. For example, let's say Kelly is in love with Jared, but she tells her friends that Jared is a disgusting loser and she can't stand him.

6. Sublimation: Channeling unacceptable impulses into acceptable ones. For example, a peeping tom becomes the extremely rich Playboy inventor.

Exploring Psychology by David Myer

Answer 4

That the purpose of defense mechanisms was to protect the person from anxiety, social sanctions, and from situations that the person couldn't cope with at that time.

Answer 5

Denial, repression, displacement.