1. Defense Mechanisms

2. First Lets Work On The Definitions As the definitions flash on the screen, write which defense mechanism it is describing

3. Seeing your own problems in other people, allowing you to ignore your own problems

4. Projection

5. Coming up with an excuse or explanation to justify inappropriate behavior so it no longer seems wrong

6. Rationalization

7. Turning negative emotions into positive actions that are more socially acceptable

8. Sublimation

9. When you act completely the opposite of how you want to act in order to hide true desires and feelings

10. Reaction Formation

11. Suppressing unwanted memories or urges, these memories or urges can hardly ever be brought to consciousness

12. Repression

13. Returning to a previous stage of development

14. Regression

15. Transferring aggressive feelings from the true target onto a less threatening one

16. Displacement

17. Refusal to admit that something is wrong

18. Denial

19. Now Lets Try Some Examples! As the examples come up on the screen, write down which defense mechanism it is describing

20. A man gets angry at his boss, but can’t express his anger to his boss for fear of being fired. He instead comes home and kicks the dog or starts an argument with his wife.

21. Displacement He finds an easy target to take his anger out on…his wife

22. A woman is very angry with her boss and would like to quit her job but instead is overly kind and generous toward her boss and expresses a desire to keep working there forever.

23. Reaction Formation She is acting the complete opposite of how she actually feels

24. You are sad about a recent breakup. Instead of sitting at home depressed, you decide to go to the gym everyday. When you leave the gym you feel better about yourself and it helps you forget about the breakup

25. Sublimation You are taking a negative feeling, being sad about a breakup, and turning it into a healthy new habit of going to the gym on a regular basis

26. You and your mom get into an argument on the way home from the store. When you arrive home, you stomp your feet up the stairs and cry. Your mother of course, calls you a child and points out the fact that you are having a tantrum like your 8 year old sister does

27. Regression You are acting like a child, not a young adult. Your tantrum takes you back to a previous stage of development

28. A neighbor of yours is an alcoholic. You see this negative behavior impacting their lives greatly. Their family no longer visits, they often stay inside the house, and their yard is a mess. Despite all of this, your neighbor says that he does not have a problem.

29. Denial Despite obvious signs of alcohol impacting their life, your neighbor denies that it is an issue

30. You cheat on your boyfriend over the weekend. When your friends confront you about it, your response it that “He cheated on your first”

31. Rationalization You make up an excuse for your negative behavior, cheating.

32. You had an awful day at school. Instead of being angry about it for the rest of the day, you decide to go home and clean your room

33. Sublimation Instead of being negative all day, you take your frustration and focus it toward your messy room.

34. Your nephew has chocolate all over his face and the cookies you just baked are missing. When you ask him if he ate the cookies he says no and walks away

35. Denial Your nephew refuses to admit he ate the cookies

36. The boy has bullied you since 3 rd grade. He has made you cry many times and you strongly dislike him. When you two are paired up together for a group project, you are very nice to him and even try to make jokes

37. Reaction Formation Even though you strongly dislike this boy, you act kindly toward him

38. You really like this girl from school. When it is just you two, you are constantly complimenting her and making her laugh. One day you two hang out with your friends and you begin to poke fun at her and make her feel embarrassed.

39. Reaction Formation You like this girl, but when around your friends you act as though you do not.

40. Your boyfriend lost his hockey game and blames his coach. He knows that if he hit his coach he would be kicked off the team. When he gets home and you ask him about the game he becomes to angry that he hits you.

41. Displacement He is really angry with his coach, but knows that he cannot act on that anger without getting kicked off the team. He takes that anger out on you.

42. You decide to speed down Telegraph because you are late for something. When the cop pulls you over you tell him that “You were only going 7 over the speed limit so you didn’t think it was a big deal”

43. Rationalization You make up an excuse for speeding

44. Fish Are Friends, Not Food

45. Sublimation Bruce is trying to take his bad impulse, eating fish, and turn it into a positive by holding meetings for other sharks to talk about their “addiction to fish”

46. Regina George

47. Reaction Formation Regina completely hates the skirt but pretends to love it

49. Displacement Instead of hitting Ron Burgundy for throwing a burrito out of his window while driving, Jack Black’s character picks up Ron’s dog Baxter and kicks him off of the bridge!

50. Variety Of Defense Mechanisms

51. Your dad hits you and your brother. As a result you go to school and beat up the younger kids at school

52. Displacement You are angry with your dad but cannot hit him back so you take your anger out on the little kids at school.

53. Your parents are recently divorced. You act as though they are still together and when people ask you how you are taking the divorce your response is “Oh its just a fight, they are not divorced”

54. Denial The fact is, your parents are legally divorced. You refuse to admit it

55. You are constantly tardy to class but you think it is fine because the teacher doesn’t seem to care too much

56. Rationalization Being tardy to class is never acceptable. It is your responsiblility to get there on time, but you make up an excuse so that you don’t feel bad about being tardy.

57. You are depressed so you try to join school activities and hangout with your friends instead of sitting at home being depressed

58. Sublimation You are trying your hardest take stay positive and spend time with friends while you are depressed. You are taking the negative of being depressed and making it a positive

59. You are angry with your girlfriend so you punch the wall in your bedroom and put a whole through it.

60. Displacement You are really angry with your girlfriend but know you cannot talk to her right now so you take your anger out on the wall.