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    Rhea Andrea F. Uy

    BS Psychology 3-1

    Perspectives in Psychology

    Behaviorist Perspective

    Behaviorism is different from most other approaches because they view people (and

    animals) as controlled by their environment and specifically that we are the result of

    what we have learned from our environment. Behaviorism is concerned with how

    environmental factors (called stimuli) affect observable behavior (called the response).

    The behaviorist approach proposes two main processes whereby people learn from

    their environment: namely classical conditioning and operant conditioning. Classical

    conditioning involves learning by association, and operant conditioning involves learning

    from the conseuences of behavior.

    Psychodynamic Perspective

    !reud believes that events in our childhood can have a significant impact on our

    behavior as adults. "e also believed that people have little free will to ma#e choices in

    life. $nstead, our behavior is determined by the unconscious mind and childhood

    e%periences.

    !reud&s psychoanalysis is both a theory and a therapy. $t is the original psychodynamic

    theory and inspired psychologists such as 'ungand ri#sonto develop their own

    psychodynamic theories. !reud&s wor# is vast and he has contributed greatly to

    psychology as a discipline.

    !reud, the founder of psychoanalysis, e%plained the human mind as li#e an iceberg,

    with only a small amount of it being visible, that is our observable behavior, but it is the

    unconscious, submerged mind that has the most, underlying influence on our behavior.

    !reud used three main methods of accessing the unconscious mind: free association,

    dream analysis and slips of the tongue.

    http://www.simplypsychology.org/behaviorism.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/psychodynamic.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/carl-jung.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/Erik-Erikson.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/psychoanalysis.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/unconscious-mind.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/psychodynamic.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/carl-jung.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/Erik-Erikson.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/psychoanalysis.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/unconscious-mind.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/behaviorism.html
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    "e believed that the unconscious mind consisted of three components: the id the ego

    and the superego. The id contains two main instincts: ros, which is the life instinct,

    which involves self*preservation and se% which is fuelled by the libido energy force.

    Thanatos is the death instinct, whose energies, because they are less powerful thanthose of ros are channeled away from ourselves and into aggression towards others.

    The id and the superego are constantly in conflict with each other, and the ego tries

    to resolve the discord. $f this conflict is not resolved, we tend to use defense

    mechanismsto reduce our an%iety. Psychoanalysis attempts to help patients resolve

    their inner conflicts.

    +n aspect of psychoanalysis is !reuds theory of psychose%ual development. $t shows

    how early e%periences affect adult personality. timulation of different areas of the body

    is important as the child progresses through the important developmental stages.

    "umanism

    "umanistic psychology is a psychological perspective that emphasi-es the study of the

    whole person (#now as holism). "umanistic psychologists loo# at human behavior, not

    only through the eyes of the observer, but through the eyes of the person doing the

    behaving.

    "umanistic psychologists believe that an individuals behavior is connected to his inner

    feelings and self*image. The humanistic perspective centers on the view that each

    person is uniue and individual, and has the free will to change at any time in his or her

    lives.

    The humanistic perspective suggests that we are each responsible for our own

    happiness and well*being as humans. e have the innate (i.e. inborn) capacity for self*

    actuali-ation, which is our uniue desire to achieve our highest potential as people.

    Because of this focus on the person and his or her personal e%periences and sub/ective

    perception of the world the humanists regarded scientific methods as inappropriate for

    studying behavior.

    http://www.simplypsychology.org/psyche.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/psyche.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/defense-mechanisms.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/defense-mechanisms.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/psychosexual.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/humanistic.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/self-concept.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/psyche.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/psyche.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/defense-mechanisms.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/defense-mechanisms.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/psychosexual.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/humanistic.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/self-concept.html
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    Two of the most influential and enduring theories in humanistic psychology that

    emerged in the 0123s and 0143s are those of Carl 5ogersand+braham 6aslow.

    Cognitive Psychology

    The cognitive perspective is concerned with 7mental8 functions such

    asmemory, perception, attentionetc. $t views people as being similar to computers in

    the way we process information (e.g. input*process*output). !or e%ample, both human

    brains and computers process information, store data and have input an output

    procedure.

    This had led cognitive psychologists to e%plain that memory comprises of three stages:

    encoding (where information is received and attended to), storage (where the

    information is retained) and retrieval (where the information is recalled).

    $t is an e%tremely scientific approachand typically uses lab e%periments to study human

    behavior. The cognitive approach has many applications including cognitive

    therapyand eyewitness testimony.

    Biopsychological Perspective:

    The biological perspective is a broad scientific perspective that assumes that

    human behavior and thought processes have a biological basis. Biology includes

    investigations into biochemistry of behavior associated with neurotransmitters and

    hormones, genetics and heritability, and the psychophysics of sensation and perception.

    Physiological psychology, neuroscience, psychoneuroimunology and

    psychopharmacology are all part of the biological perspective. Because the biological

    perspective relies on scientific methods, its scope of investigation is limited to variables

    that can be controlled. 5esearch methods are uantitative and see# to produce findings

    that can be replicated and that are generali-able across populations.

    Sociocultural Perspective:

    The social9cultural perspective in psychology suggests that human behavior is

    influenced by social conte%t, environmental cues, social pressures and cultural

    influences. +nyone who has attended a football game will recogni-e that human

    http://www.simplypsychology.org/carl-rogers.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/cognitive.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/memory.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/perception-theories.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/attention-models.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/science-psychology.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/cognitive-therapy.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/cognitive-therapy.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/eyewitness-testimony.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/carl-rogers.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/cognitive.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/memory.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/perception-theories.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/attention-models.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/science-psychology.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/cognitive-therapy.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/cognitive-therapy.htmlhttp://www.simplypsychology.org/eyewitness-testimony.html
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    behavior is susceptible to influence of the crowd mentality. e are all shaped by the

    conte%t of our environment and influenced by the perception of authority in our social

    order. ocial psychologists suggest that these forces are very powerful and e%plain a

    great deal about the causes of human behavior and thought processes.

    Evolutionary Perspective:

    The evolutionary perspective e%plains human behavior and thought process as

    resulting from evolutionary processes. The underlying assumption of biological evolution

    is survival of the species. "uman behavior is understood in the light of the uestion:

    how does this behavior result from processes that support the survival of the species

    Feinist-poststructural Perspective:

    The feminist poststructural perspective arose in response to the observation by

    postmodern theorists li#e 6ichel !oucault, that the creators9owners of a theory en/oy

    certain advantages that come from organi-ing #nowledge along e%planatory lines.

    cience has traditionally been dominated by men and thus the methods and outcomes

    of science have benefited men for the most part. But, the feminist perspective goes

    beyond a critiue of androcentric practices and suggests that all organi-ed #nowledge

    has a political agenda that should be e%amined in the light of all persons rights and

    benefits. The poststructural view helps us understand that #nowledge is power and that

    the holders of the languages that construct #nowledge are the ones who will have the

    choices about how resources are distributed. This political theory of psychology and

    #nowledge construction tries to level the playing field and admit the views and voices of

    all. The underlying assumption in this view is that diversity is essential for human

    survival. $ncumbent upon adherents to this perspective is a commitment to ta#e a stand

    on issues they deem important, identify their own epistemological position and biases in

    relation to their views and then engage in a process of self*interrogation of their

    position.

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    !e"ense #echaniss

    1. Anticipation

    !e"inition: 5ealistically anticipating or planning for future inner

    discomfort. The mechanism is goal*directed and implies careful planning

    or worrying and premature but realistic affective anticipation of dire and

    potentially dreadful outcomes.

    E$aple:

    %. A""iliation

    !e"inition: The individual deals with emotional conflict or internal or

    e%ternal stressors by turning to others for help or support.

    E$aple: sharing problems with others but does not imply trying to ma#e

    someone else responsible for them.

    3. Altruis

    !e"inition:;sing constructive and instinctually gratifying service to others

    to undergo a vicarious e%perience. $t includes benign and constructive

    reaction formation.

    E$aple:+ self*made millionaire who grew up in poverty sets up acharitable foundation and gains great pleasure from how it helps

    others get out of the poverty trap. he receives social accolade and

    public recognition for her good deeds, which she carefully and

    modestly grateful.

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    &. 'uor

    !e"inition:;sing comedy to overtly e%press feelings and thoughts without

    personal discomfort or immobili-ation and without producing an

    unpleasant effect on others. This allows the person to tolerate yet focus on

    what is too terrible to be borne.

    E$aple:+ persons treatment for cancer ma#es him lose his hair so he

    ma#es /o#es about being bald.

    (. Sel"-assertion

    !e"inition: The individual deals with emotional conflict or stressors by

    e%pressing his or her feelings and thoughts directly in a way that is not

    coercive or manipulative.

    E$aple:+ woman < whose husband was very busy and didn&t have time

    for his wife and #ids decided to tal# to her husband about it. he did not

    want to play the victim and whine and manipulate her husband about it. By

    saying something li#e 7hat have $ done to deserve this8 he also did

    not want to blame her husband and accuse him by saying 7=ou haven&t

    been giving us time, the #ids are suffering because of you.8

    o she decided to be self assertive without being whiny and playing theblame game. he said 7$ haven&t been given the support $ needed, our#ids and $ are being affected by it, let&s tal# and decide about what can bedone about it. hat do you thin# "ow do you feel about it

    ). Sel"-o*servation

    !e"inition: >ealing with stress by reflection on one&s thoughts, feelings,

    motivation, and behaviour*and then responding appropriately.

    E$aple: ngaging in /ournaling, self*e%ploration, therapy, bibliotherapy,

    etc.

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    +. Su*liation

    !e"inition:;nacceptable emotions are defused by being channeled into

    socially acceptable behavior.

    E$aple:+ Professor who feels a secret disgust for teaching instead

    wor#s more diligently to earn the teaching award.

    E$aple:+ person with e%cessive, primitive se%ual drives invests psychic

    energy into a well*defined religious value system.

    ,. Suppression

    !e"inition: Consciously or semiconsciously postponing attention to a

    conscious impulse or conflict. $ssues may be deliberately cut*off, but they

    are not avoided.

    E$aple:+n older man has se%ual feelings towards a teenager and

    uic#ly suppresses the thought.

    E$aple: $ want to #ic# the living ???? out of an idiot at the office.

    $nstead, $ smile at them and try to feel sorry for their !reudian plight.

    E$aple: $ am about to ta#e a short*cut down an alleyway. There are

    some people down there. $ decide to ta#e the longer, but more interesting

    route.

    . !isplaceent

    !e"inition:hifting an emotion or drive cathe%is from one idea or ob/ect to

    another that resembles the original in some aspect or uality.

    >isplacement permits the symbolic representation of the original idea or

    ob/ect by one that is less highly cathected or evo#es less distress.

    E$aple: + man may spend the day suffering humiliations at wor# forwhich he cannot retaliate@ then he goes home, discovers that his son has

    failed to ta#e out the trash , and on that prete%t gives the son a terribsle

    dressing down.

    1.!issociation

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    !e"inition:Temporarily but drastically modifying a person&s character or

    one&s sense of personal identity to avoid emotional stress. !ugue states

    and hysterical conversion reactions are common manifestations of

    dissociation. + person loses trac# of time or a person and instead finds

    another representation of their self in order to continue in the moment.

    E$aple: +fter brea#ing up with a lover, a suicidal person is suddenly

    unable to recall the periods of time during the time they were together.

    11. /ntellectuali0ation

    !e"inition: %cessively using intellectual processes to avoid affective

    e%pression or e%perience. ;ndue emphasis is focused on the inanimate in

    order to avoid intimacy with people, attention is paid to e%ternal reality to

    avoid the e%pression of inner feelings, and stress is e%cessively placed onirrelevant details to avoid perceiving the whole.

    E$aple:+ person who has /ust been given a terminal medical diagnosis,

    instead of e%pressing their sadness and grief, focuses instead on the

    details of all possible fruitless medical procedures.

    1%./solation o" e""ect

    !e"inition: Conflict is defused by separating ideas from affects, thus

    retaining an awareness of intellectual or factual aspects but losing touch

    with threatening emotions.

    E$aple: + biology student sacrifices a laboratory animal, without

    worrying about its right to e%istence, uality of life or emotional state.

    13.Reaction Foration

    !e"inition:;nacceptable thoughts or impulses are contained by adopting

    a position that e%presses the direct opposite.

    E$aple: + writer who hates some groups of people writes an articleprotesting their unfair treatment by the government.

    1&.Repression

    !e"inition:!orbidden thoughts and wishes are withheld from conscious

    awareness.

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    E$aple:+ person&s /ealous desire to murder a rival is denied access to

    conscious awareness.

    1(.Undoing

    !e"inition: ;ndoing is the attempt to ta#e bac# an unconscious behavior

    or thought that is unacceptable or hurtful.

    E$aple: +fter 5onald reali-ed that he had /ust insulted his significant

    other unintentionally, he spent the ne%t hour praising his girlfriend beauty,

    charm and intellect.

    1).!evaluation

    !e"inition:+ttributing unrealistic negative ualities to self or others, as a

    means of punishing the self or reducing the impact of the devalued item.

    E$aple:The formerly admired Professor who gives you a > on your

    term paper is suddenly critici-ed as a terrible teacher.

    1+./deali0ation

    !e"inition:+ttributing unrealistic positive ualities to self or others.

    E$aple:+ student worried about intellectual ability begins to idoli-e a

    tutor.

    1,.nipotence

    !e"inition: +n image of oneself as incredibly powerful, intelligent, or

    superior is created to overcome threatening eventualities or feelings.

    E$aple: + student facing a difficult final e%am asserts that there is

    nothing about the material that he doesn&t #now.

    1.!enial

    !e"inition:+voiding the awareness of some painful aspect of reality by

    negating sensory data. >enial abolishes e%ternal reality.

    E$aple: + person who is a functioning alcoholic will often simply deny

    having a drin#ing problem, pointing to how well he functions in his /ob and

    relationship.

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    %.Pro2ection

    !e"inition:;nacceptable emotions or personal ualities are disowned by

    attributing them to others.

    E$aple:+ student attributes his own anger to the professor, and therebycomes to see himself as a persecuted victim.

    %1.Rationali0ation

    !e"inition:+n e%planation for behavior is constructed after the fact to

    /ustify one&s actions in the eyes of self or others.

    E$aple: + woman who starts dating a man she really, really li#es is

    suddenly dumped by the man for no given reason. he reframes the

    situation in her mind with, 7 $ suspected she was a loser all along.8

    %%.Autistic "antasy

    !e"inition: The tendency to retreat into fantasy in order to resolve inner

    and outer conflicts.The individual deals with emotional conflict or internal

    or e%ternal stressors by e%cessive daydreaming as a substitute for human

    relationships, more effective action, or problem solving.

    E$aple:+ 02*year*old boy dreams of being the world chess champion.

    "e spends nearly all of his time alone studying the game and won&t

    discuss other topics.

    %3.Pro2ective /denti"ication

    !e"inition:;npleasant feelings and reactions are not only pro/ected onto

    others, but also retained in awareness and viewed as a reaction to the

    recipient&s behavior.

    E$aple:+ student attributes his own anger to the professor but sees his

    response as a /ustifiable reaction to persecution.

    %&.Splitting

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    who uses passive*aggressive method to cope with stresses on them

    does this by attac#ing others through passive means. Thus the

    aggressive intent is cloa#ed by the passive method. Passive aggression

    often appears when a person is as#ed to do something which they want

    to avoidfor some reason (such as priority of other wor#). By appearingto agree but not ma#ing any real commitment, they can avoid the action.

    E$aple:+n employee who does not li#e a reasonable directive issued

    by the boss may delay performing the tas# as a sign of resistance. Then

    too, being sullen or otherwise subtly resistance may be the easy response

    to such a situation.

    %,.!elusional Pro2ection

    !e"inition:!ran# delusions about e%ternal reality, usually of a persecutory

    nature.

    E$aple: + person at a meeting is as#ed to complete a tas# with

    which they feel unable to comply. They tal# at great length about it,

    discussing how important it is and all the various comple%ities that

    would be involved. +t the end of the meeting, they still have not

    agreed to do anything.

    E$aple: + sales person uses a persuasive sales patter. The

    customer agrees that this is /ust what they want, but when it comes to

    signing the order, they find reasons why they cannot buy today.

    E$aple:+ change manager as#s people to change what they do. They

    agree but do not actually do what they agreed to do.

    %.Psychotic !istortion

    !e"inition:+ gross reshaping of e%ternal reality to meet internal needs.

    E$aple: 5eplacing an%iety with /oy and e%citement

    3.Psychotic !enial

    !e"inition: gross impairment in reality testing.

    http://changingminds.org/explanations/behaviors/coping/attack.htmhttp://changingminds.org/explanations/behaviors/coping/attack.htmhttp://changingminds.org/explanations/behaviors/coping/attack.htmhttp://changingminds.org/explanations/behaviors/coping/avoidance.htmhttp://changingminds.org/explanations/behaviors/coping/attack.htmhttp://changingminds.org/explanations/behaviors/coping/avoidance.htm
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    E$aple:+ man hears that his wife has been #illed, and yet refuses

    to believe it, still setting the table for her and #eeping her clothes and

    other accoutrements in the bedroom.

    31.Asceticis!e"inition:liminating the pleasurable effects of e%periences. There is a

    moral element in assigning values to specific pleasures. +sceticism is

    directed against all base pleasures perceived consciously.

    E$aple: 6on#s ta#e a vow of silence and give up se%.

    3%.'ypochondriasis

    !e"inition:%aggerating or overemphasi-ing an illness for the purpose of

    evasion and regression. $n hypochondriasis, responsibility can be avoided,

    guilt may be circumvented, and instinctual impulses are warded off.

    E$aple: + person who has a minor cough may thin# that they have

    tuberculosis.

    33./ntro2ection

    !e"inition: $nternali-ing the ualities of an ob/ect. hen used as adefense, it can obliterate the distinction between the sub/ect and the

    ob/ect.

    E$aple: $ have to give a presentation but feel scared. $ put on the

    hat of +braham incoln and imagine $ am confidently giving an

    important address to the nation.

    E$aple:+ child is threatened at school. They ta#e on the strong*

    defender attributes that they perceive in their father and push away

    the bully.

    E$aple: + business leader sets high moral standards within the

    company. 6any others follow her lead.

    3&.Regression

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    !e"inition:+ttempting to return to an earlier libidinal phase of functioning

    to avoid the tension and conflict evo#ed at the present level of

    development. $t reflects the basic tendency to gain instinctual gratification

    at a less*developed period.

    E$aple: + regressed adult may be reduced to a babbling, helpless

    creature who has to be fed and toileted li#e a baby.

    3(.Soati0ation

    !e"inition: Converting psychic derivatives into bodily symptoms and

    tending to react with somatic manifestations.

    +. !esoati0ation:$nfantile somatic responses are replaced by thought

    and affect.

    B. Resoati0ation:The person regresses to somatic forms in the face of

    unresolved conflicts.

    E$aple: + policeman, who has to be very restricted in his

    professional behavior, develops hypertension.

    E$aple:+ worried actor develops a twitch.

    3).E$ternali0ation

    !e"inition: Tending to perceive in the e%ternal world and in e%ternal

    ob/ects elements of one&s own personality, including instinctual impulses,

    conflicts, moods, attitudes, and styles of thin#ing.

    E$aple: The patient is e%tremely argumentative@ instead of recogni-ing

    this characteristic in herself, however, she complains about the difficult

    personalities of others and views herself as blameless.

    3+./nhi*ition

    !e"inition:Consciously limiting or renouncing some ego functions, alone

    or in combination, to evade an%iety arising out of conflict with instinctual

    impulses, the superego, or environmental forces or figures.

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    E$aple: + person is conscious of se%ual desire but if finding it

    frustrating, decides that all that is really wanted in the relationship is

    companionship.

    E$aple: + student who originally wanted to be a physician decides to

    become a physicians assistant.

    3,.Se$uali0ation

    !e"inition: ndowing an ob/ect or function with se%ual significance that it

    did not previously have or possessed to a smaller degree in order to ward

    off an%ieties associated with prohibited impulses or their derivatives.

    E$aple: when a person is treated as a se% ob/ect rather than as a whole

    person

    E$aple: when physical characteristics are considered to be the only

    indicator of se%iness

    3.4urning against sel"

    !e"inition:The ob/ective of a drive, usually aggression, is changed from

    another person to the self. $t&s therefore seen freuently in depression and

    masochism.

    E$aple: Ance upon a time, at a time when $ was not feeling my best, my

    daughter, five years old, spilled an entire glass of chocolate mil# in the

    living room. $ lashed out at her verbally, telling her she was clumsy and

    had to learn to be more careful and how often hadnt $ told her and...well,

    you #now. he stood there stiffly with a sort of smoldering loo# in her

    eyes, and, of all things, pounded herself on her own head several timesD

    &.opartentali0ation

    !e"inition:Compartmentali-ation is a lesser form of dissociation, wherein

    parts of oneself are separated from awareness of other parts and

    behaving as if one had separate sets of values.

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    E$aple:+n honest person who cheats on their income ta% return and

    #eeps their two value systems distinct and un*integrated while remaining

    unconscious of the cognitive dissonance.

    &1.opensation

    !e"inition: Compensation is a process of psychologically

    counterbalancing perceived wea#nesses by emphasi-ing strength in other

    arenas.

    E$aple:7$ may not #now how to coo#, but $ can sure do the dishesD8

    &%.#inii0ation!e"inition:Eot ac#nowledging the significance of one&s behavior. +llows a

    person to decrease responsibility for own behavior.

    E$aple: hen a person says 7>on&t believe everything my wife tells

    you. $ wasn&t so drun# $ couldn&t drive.8

    &3.Su*stitution

    !e"inition: The replacement of a highly valued, unacceptable, or

    unavailable ob/ect by a less valuable, acceptable, or available ob/ect.

    E$aple:+ woman wants to marry a man e%actly li#e her dead father and

    settles for someone who loo#s a little bit li#e him.

    &&.5eepiness and rying

    !e"inition: hen people cannot emotionally cope with a situation, one

    option is to burst into tears.

    =ounger children readily cry. omen are more li#ely to cry than men,

    who may get to a point where they want to cry, but cannot.

    Crying can appear at different levels of noticeability, from silent tears to

    loud and heart*rending sobs.

    E$aple: + person hears that one of their wor# pro/ects has been

    stopped. They feel li#e crying but hold it in until they get home, where

    they burst into tears of frustration and sadness when telling their

    partner all about it.

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    &(.5ithdra6al!e"inition: ithdrawal is a more severe form of defense. $t entails

    removing oneself from events, stimuli, and interactions under the threat ofbeing reminded of painful thoughts and feelings.

    E$aple: + person who e%perienced a traumatic relationship with friends

    withdraws from her group for fear of being reminded of being left.

    &).!istancing

    !e"inition: hen people perceive a threat, a common approach is to

    distance themselves from it. The same effect happens when they feel

    stressed by a current situation.

    People may physically move away from a threat. They may also move

    away mentally and emotionally. 6ental distancing includes thin#ing less

    about the sub/ect, for e%ample by simplifying and stereotyping. motional

    distancing includes loosening bondsand can result in the person caring

    less.

    E$aple: + person having an argument storms out of the room.

    (hile this has a significant controlaspect, it also ta#es them away

    from the discomfort of conflict).

    E$aple: + woman whose husband spends a lot of time at wor#

    starts to distance herself by finding other interests and is less often at

    home when he returns.

    E$aple: + person who is stressed at wor# is absent with illness more

    often.

    &+.Eotionality

    http://changingminds.org/explanations/theories/stereotypes.htmhttp://changingminds.org/principles/bonding.htmhttp://changingminds.org/explanations/needs/control.htmhttp://changingminds.org/explanations/theories/stereotypes.htmhttp://changingminds.org/principles/bonding.htmhttp://changingminds.org/explanations/needs/control.htm
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    !e"inition: hen we become stressed or tension is caused, a number of

    negative emotions may start to build, including anger,

    frustration, fear,/ealousyand so on.

    hen we display these emotions it can affect others around us, arousingsimilar or polar feelings. + common social valueis that we should not

    distress others, so many people hold the emotion in, bottling up the

    stress. This in itself can trigger other coping mechanisms. $t can also

    result in e%plosive outbursts as we are unable to contain the emotion

    further.

    E$aple: Teenagers often cannot contain the emotions caused by

    physiological and temporal development. +s a result, they can bevery emotional and can contribute significantly to family problems.

    &,.Attac7

    !e"inition: The best form of defense is attac# is a common saying and is

    also a common action, and when we feel threatened or attac#ed (even

    psychologically), we will attac# bac#.

    hen a person feels stressed in some way, they may lash out at whoever

    is in the way, whether the other person is a real cause or not. They may

    also attac# inanimate ob/ects.

    E$aple: omeone critici-es me in a discussion. $ angrily critici-e

    them bac#.

    &.Avoidance

    http://changingminds.org/explanations/emotions/anger.htmhttp://changingminds.org/explanations/emotions/fear.htmhttp://changingminds.org/explanations/emotions/jealousy.htmhttp://changingminds.org/explanations/values/values.htmhttp://changingminds.org/explanations/emotions/anger.htmhttp://changingminds.org/explanations/emotions/fear.htmhttp://changingminds.org/explanations/emotions/jealousy.htmhttp://changingminds.org/explanations/values/values.htm
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    !e"inition: $n avoidance, we simply find ways of avoiding having to face

    uncomfortable situations, things or activities. The discomfort, for

    e%ample, may come from unconscious se%ual or aggressive impulses.

    +voidance may include removing oneself physically from a situation. $t

    may also involve finding ways not to discuss or even thin# about the topic

    in uestion.

    E$aple: $ disli#e another person at wor#. $ avoid wal#ing past their

    des#. hen people tal# about them, $ say nothing.

    6y son does not li#e doing homewor#. henever the sub/ect of

    school comes up, he changes the topic. "e also avoids loo#ing

    directly at me.

    (.Sel"-'aring

    !e"inition: The person physically deliberately hurts themself in some way or

    otherwise puts themselves at high risk of harm.

    E$aple:Slapping oneself

    Banging one's head against a table

    Punching a hard wall

    Picking at wounds

    Cutting oneself with a knife or sharp object

    Burning oneself

    Biting oneself

    (1.Sy*oli0ation

    !e"inition: ymboli-ation is a way of handling inner conflicts by turning

    them into distinct symbols.

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    well be symbolic and dramatic and it often acts as a communication

    about the situation. %treme symptoms may include paralysis, blindness,

    deafness, becoming mute or having a sei-ure. esser symptoms include

    tiredness, headaches and twitches.

    E$aple: + persons arm becomes suddenly paraly-ed after they

    have been threatening to hit someone else.

    ((.Up6ard and do6n6ard social coparisons

    !e"inition:+ defensive tendency that is used a means of self*evaluation.

    $ndividuals will loo# to another individual or comparison group who are

    considered to be worse off in order to dissociate themselves from

    perceived similarities and to ma#e themselves feel better about

    themselves or their personal situation.

    E$aple: $f you compare yourself to your friends and feel that you are

    pretty physically fit, you might sign up for a marathon believing that you

    have the ability to finish with no problem. hen race day arrives, you

    might find yourself surrounded by people who are much more athletic than

    you and reali-e that your initial assessment of your abilities was overly

    optimistic.

    ().'uility

    !e"inition: + mechanism by which a person, considering their own

    defects, has a humble self*opinion.

    E$aple:

    (+.Eotional sel"-regulation

    !e"inition:motional elf*5egulation refers to the processes people use

    to modify the type, intensity, duration, or e%pression of various emotions.

    E$aple:

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    (,.Eotional sel"-su""iciency

    !e"inition: Eot being dependent on the validation (approval or

    disapproval) of others.

    E$aple:

    (.#oderation

    !e"inition: The process of eliminating or lessening e%tremes and staying

    within reasonable limits. $t necessitates self*restraint which is imposed by oneself

    on one&s own feelings.

    E$aple:

    ).Apathetic 5ithdra6al

    !e"inition:

    E$aple:

    )1.Bloc7ing

    !e"inition: Temporarily or transiently inhibiting thin#ing. +ffects and

    impulses may also be involved. Bloc#ing closely resembles repression but

    differs in that tension arises when the impulse, affect, or thought isinhibited.

    E$aple:)%.ontrolling

    !e"inition:+ttempting to manage or regulate events or ob/ects in the

    environment to minimi-e an%iety and to resolve inner conflicts.

    E$aple:)3.Reversal

    !e"inition:5eversal refers mainly to turning love to hate and hate into

    love for defensive purposes.

    E$aple:)&.Addictive Behavior

    !e"inition:

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    E$aple:

    )(.Repetition opulsion

    !e"inition:

    E$aple:

    )).Eulation

    !e"inition:

    E$aple:

    )+.ynicis

    !e"inition:

    E$aple:

    ),.Erotici0ation

    !e"inition:

    E$aple:

    )./ndividualis

    !e"inition:

    E$aple:

    +.Per"ectionis

    !e"inition:

    E$aple:

    http:99changingminds.org9e%planations9behaviors9coping9coping.htm

    http://changingminds.org/explanations/behaviors/coping/coping.htmhttp://changingminds.org/explanations/behaviors/coping/coping.htm
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