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Reaction formation – converting of unwanted or dangerous thoughts, feelings or impulses into their
opposite. For example, a woman who is very unhappy with her boss & job will become overly kind
& generous and may express a desire to stay at the job forever. Reaction formation occurs when
unacceptable thoughts or impulses are expressed by their opposites. It is an immature defense and
usually causes problems for the individual since the underlying aggression is never addressed.
Repression – the unconscious blocking of unacceptable thoughts, feelings or impulses. The key to
repression is that people do it unconsciously.
Suppression – Involves voluntary setting aside of affect and memory, which can also be voluntarily
retrieved. Sometimes we do this consciously by forcing the unwanted information out of our
awareness, which is known as suppression. In most cases, however, this removal of anxiety-
provoking memories from our awareness is believed to occur unconsciously. Dealing with
emotional conflict or internal or external stressors by intentionally avoiding thinking about
disturbing problems, wishes, feelings or experiences.
Displacement – is the redirecting of thoughts, feelings, or and impulses directed at one person or
object, but taking it out on another person or object.
Intellectualizing – the overemphasis of on thinking when confronted with an unacceptable impulse,
situation or behavior without employing any emotions whatsoever to help mediate and place the
thoughts into an emotional, human context. Rather than deal with the pain associated with the
emotions, a person might employ intellectualism, to distance themselves from the impulse.
Rationalization - putting something into a different light or offering a different explanation for one’s
perceptions or behaviors in the face of a changing reality. For instance, a woman who starts dating a
man she really, really likes and thinks the world of is suddenly dumped by the man for no reason.
She reframes the situation in her mind with, “I suspected he was a loser all along.”
Undoing - the attempt to take back an unconscious behavior or thought that is unacceptable or
hurtful. For instance, after realizing you just insulted your significant other unintentionally, you
might spend the next hour praising their beauty, charm and intellect. By “undoing” the previous
action, the person is attempting to counteract the damage done by the original comment, hoping the
two will balance one another out. Undoing is a secondary defense mechanism that surfaces when
unacceptable or frightening thoughts or actions break free into consciousness. Undoing is
performed to reverse the consequences that flow from the action.
Conversion involves changing the affect into another symptom, such as a physical disorder or
problem.
Sublimination - the channeling of unacceptable impulses, thoughts and emotions into more
acceptable ones. For instance, when a person has sexual impulses they would like not to act upon,
they may instead focus on rigorous exercise. Refocusing such unacceptable or harmful impulses
into productive use helps a person channel energy that otherwise would be lost or used in a
manner that might cause the person more anxiety.
Compensation - process of psychologically counterbalancing perceived weaknesses by emphasizing
strength in other arenas. By emphasizing and focusing on one’s strengths, a person is recognizing
they cannot be strong at all things and in all areas in their lives. For instance, when a person says, “I
may not know how to cook, but I can sure do the dishes!” they’re trying to compensate for their lack
of cooking skills by emphasizing their cleaning skills instead. When done appropriately and not in
an attempt to over-compensate, compensation is defense mechanism that helps reinforce a
person’s self-esteem and self-image.
Assertiveness - the emphasis of a person’s needs or thoughts in a manner that is respectful, direct
and firm. Communication styles exist on a continuum, ranging from passive to aggressive, with
assertiveness falling neatly in-between. People who are passive and communicate in a passive
manner tend to be good listeners, but rarely speak up for themselves or their own needs in a