1. DEFENSE MECHANISM Mr. Lauta Psychology Shenandoah Valley

2. Physical vs. Psychological Just as our bodies are attacked by germs and poisons, so is the mind Threatening circumstances in life which can overwhelm the mind can cause us to become ill

3. Four Ways to Deal with Conflict 1.Attack/fight - Stand your ground 2.Take flight -Retreat -Avoid 3.Reinterpret/ compromise - Does the threat pose a danger? 4.Use defense mechanisms - when 3 above fail

4. Unconscious distortions of reality Done to spare us from anxiety and stress Examples: you lose a game, you get fired from a job, you don’t get what you want Defense Mechanisms

5. DEFENSE MECHANISM The Fox and the Grapes: An Aesop's Fable One hot summer's day a Fox was strolling through an orchard till he came to a bunch of Grapes just ripening on a vine which had been trained over a lofty branch. "Just the thing to quench my thirst," quoth he. Drawing back a few paces, he took a run and a jump, and just missed the bunch. Turning round again with a One, Two, Three, he jumped up, but with no greater success. Again and again he tried after the tempting morsel, but at last had to give it up, and walked away with his nose in the air, saying: "I am sure they are sour."

6. Defense Mechanism: Rationalization Rationalization is that which people use to justify questionable choices or actions –Robin Hood is a thief rationalized his crime by “stealing from the rich to give to the poor” Two types: 1.“sour grapes” – rationalize pain of failure; “prize” not worth the effort 2. “sweet lemons” – same as “sour grapes” but phrased differently (“That team should be in a different league than us. Their school is larger and more competitive. We had no chance of beating them.”)

7. Defense Mechanism: Projection Taking our own unacceptable qualities or feelings and ascribing them to other people. Avoids taking responsibility for own shortcomings and failures For example, if you have a strong dislike for someone, you might instead believe that he or she does not like you.

9. Defense Mechanism: Projection A person’s undesired thoughts, feelings or impulses placed onto another person who does not have those thoughts, feelings or impulses. Projection is often the result of a lack of insight and acknowledgement of one’s own motivations and feelings. For example, a spouse may be angry at her significant other for not listening, when in fact it is the she who does not listen.

10. Defense Mechanism: Displacement An emotion is transferred from its original source to a more accessible substitute –Ex.  (Positive Displacement) a widow transfers her affection from her deceased husband onto her cat

11. Defense Mechanism: Displacement redirecting of thoughts feelings and impulses directed at one person or object, but taken out upon another person or object Ex.  (Negative Displacement)You are upset with your boss. You go home and kick the dog, punching the wall, or argue with your spouse. Why?

12. Displacement

13. Defense Mechanism: Fantasy An imagined sequence of events or mental images used to gratify unconscious wishes A temporary “escape” from the real world Example  daydreaming

14. Defense Mechanism: Sublimation Channeling unacceptable impulses, thoughts and emotions into acceptable ones –Rigorous exercise –Use of humor Ex.  Mike Tyson –He channeled his aggressive and sexual feelings into boxing –Later in life, imprisoned for rape, accused of assault numerous times

16. Defense Mechanism: Repression Unacceptable thoughts or impulses are pushed or repressed into the unconscious They may reappear in disguised form –Dreams, slips of the longue, or in therapy (photo) lost limbs – repression of horrible experience

18. Fixation Fixated at a certain stage of development Addiction or fixation Dennis Rodman –Development of sexual roles –Change of hair color –Infantile behavior –Drag-queen attire

20. Defense Mechanism: Reaction Formation Adopting attitudes and behavior which are the opposite of impulses an individual harbors, either consciously or unconsciously Example: a person leads a crusade against smoking but is a smoker himself/herself

21. Reaction Formation -Television evangelists (1980s) -Jim Bakker -Jimmy Swaggart

22. Denial Defense mechanism used when confronted with an intolerable reality A person refuses to accept painful truths

25. Regression Reverting to childlike behavior –Shouting –Whining –Crying

27. Defense Mechanism: Compensation Counterbalancing perceived weaknesses by emphasizing strength in other areas Done to reinforce a person’s self-esteem and self-image “I may not know to cook, but I can sure do the dishes!”

35. http://psychology.about.com/od/theoriesofpersonality/ss/defensemech_7.htm http://psychcentral.com/lib/15-common-defense-mechanisms/0001251 http://psychcentral.com/lib/15-common-defense-mechanisms/0001251?all=1 http://static.toondoo.com/public/m/b/r/mbritt/toons/cool-cartoon-1068520.png http://www.thedailysheeple.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Scapegoating.jpg