defence mechanism
TRANSCRIPT
DEFINITION :
The individual has devices for protecting himself against psychological dangers & distress. These protective devices are known as ego defences or defence mechanism or mental mechanism or dynamism.
COMPENSATION: An attempt to make up for deficiency by directing his
energies to another aspect of one’s personality in which no deficiency exists.
DISPLACEMENT:
An emotional feeling is transferred to person or object who are less dangerous than those who initially aroused the emotion.
FIXATION:
It refers to a point of individual’s development at which certain aspects of the emotional development is not advance.
IDENTIFICATION: Adjustment mechanism which enables one to achieve
satisfaction from the successes of other people , groups or organization.
INTROJECTION:The values & characteristics of
significant persons are incorporated in one’s personality.
E.g. A woman who likes to live in a simple way introjects in her the sophisticated way, of living like her husband.
REACTION FORMATION: The unacceptable real feelings are repressed &
acceptable opposite feelings are expressed.
TRANSFERENCE :Image of one person is unconsciously
identified with that of another.
e.g. A patient who is fond of his daughter finds the nurse of the same age & height as his daughter. So he transfers his positive emotions to his nurse as his daughter.
SUPPRESSION: Voluntary postponement of focusing of attention on
an impulse which has reached conscious awareness.
REPRESSION:Strong emotional ideas or unpleasant
memories which do not fit in with our social values & norms , are split off from consciousness & thrown into the unconscious.
e.g. a man is jealous of his success but is unaware of his feelings of jealousy.
REGRESSION:It is a mechanism of going from the
present pattern to the past level of behaviour. The individual returns to pattern of behaviour that were successful in earlier stages of development.
e.g. Tears & temper tantrums in adult.
RATIONALIZATION:Providing logical explanations for
irrational behaviour motivated by unacceptable unconscious wishes.
PROJECTION: Popular method of resolving conflict. One’s own
unacceptable feelings & thoughts are expressed as if they are due to others.
INCORPORATION: A lost or something prohibited source of identification
is introduced into the ego structure with out transformation of ego.
e.g. A young married woman who has referred for treatment by her husband because of her recent crying spells & inability to care for her home & infant. The patient stated that she was afraid as she was like her mother & she disliked her self for these traits of her mother which she has incorporated with her.