University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ego defense mechanisms are unconscious protective behaviors that the ego employs to reduce anxiety. According to Freud, these mechanisms are activated when the ego struggles to mediate the conflict between the id and superego. They operate by distorting reality in various ways, and the individual using them is unaware of doing so.

Ego Defense Mechanisms

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References for Defense Mechanism

Types of defense mechanisms include: 
Denial
- Isolation
- Repression
- Reaction Formation
- Regression
- Projection
- Displacement

- Avoidance
- Undoing
- Introjection
- Suppression
- Compensation
- Identification

- Splitting
- Conversion
- Dissociation

- Humor
- Sublimation

Types of Defense Mechanisms

Which of the following is an example of a defense mechanism?

Which defense mechanism involves attributing one's own unacceptable thoughts or feelings to others?

Which defense mechanism involves redirecting emotions from a threatening target to a safer one?

Which defense mechanism involves transforming unacceptable impulses into socially acceptable actions?

According to Freudian theory, while the use of defense mechanisms is a universal human behavior, their excessive or chronic use can become problematic, indicating underlying psychological distress or unresolved conflicts.

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