Defense Mechanisms
Theories of Personality Name Raisia Williams
Applying Defense Mechanisms
For each of the situations described below, identify which defense mechanism is operating.
1. Marty, a rather insecure young executive, leases a new BMW. Whenever he and his coworkers go out to lunch. Marty always offers to drive. Identification
2. Sandy, a three-year-old who has been toilet trained for some time, starts wetting the bed after the birth of her baby sister, Erika. Regression
3. Aaron has given up smoking quite recently and still craves cigarettes. After catching a slight cold, he smoked a few cigarettes, declaring that they improved his stuffy head. Rationalization
4. Kevin found out that his girlfriend has been dating someone else. More than slightly irritated, he kicked a football through a picture window. Displacement
5. Juliet was very afraid of her temper and constantly tried to control it. As a child, she had beaten her baby sister but does not recall having done so. Repression
6. Tamika was just told that she had failed a project. Tamika thought it was the best work she had ever done. Although very upset, she talked endlessly about how the educational system is an antiquated institution that grades students without fair standards. Intellectualization
7. Although Reggie was never a good student, he was always proud of his career as a baseball player. Compensation
8. Harley received a letter from the college he had dreamed of attending, indicating that he did not meet the college's standards and was being denied admission. When asked by his teacher where he was going to school, he still answered proudly that he was going to attend that college. Denial
9. Mrs. Smith's husband left her soon after the birth of their child, Adam. Unconsciously, she feels that the baby is the cause of the breakup of her marriage. Still, she
Applying Defense Mechanisms
For each of the situations described below, identify which defense mechanism is operating.
1. Marty, a rather insecure young executive, leases a new BMW. Whenever he and his coworkers go out to lunch. Marty always offers to drive. Identification
2. Sandy, a three-year-old who has been toilet trained for some time, starts wetting the bed after the birth of her baby sister, Erika. Regression
3. Aaron has given up smoking quite recently and still craves cigarettes. After catching a slight cold, he smoked a few cigarettes, declaring that they improved his stuffy head. Rationalization
4. Kevin found out that his girlfriend has been dating someone else. More than slightly irritated, he kicked a football through a picture window. Displacement
5. Juliet was very afraid of her temper and constantly tried to control it. As a child, she had beaten her baby sister but does not recall having done so. Repression
6. Tamika was just told that she had failed a project. Tamika thought it was the best work she had ever done. Although very upset, she talked endlessly about how the educational system is an antiquated institution that grades students without fair standards. Intellectualization
7. Although Reggie was never a good student, he was always proud of his career as a baseball player. Compensation
8. Harley received a letter from the college he had dreamed of attending, indicating that he did not meet the college's standards and was being denied admission. When asked by his teacher where he was going to school, he still answered proudly that he was going to attend that college. Denial
9. Mrs. Smith's husband left her soon after the birth of their child, Adam. Unconsciously, she feels that the baby is the cause of the breakup of her marriage. Still, she