,NU 160 Exam 2 Mental Health Questions And Answers 2026/2027
Galen College
Q1. Which defense mechanism involves refusing to accept a painful
or threatening reality?
A) Projection
B) Denial
C) Sublimation
D) Displacement
Correct Answer: B) Denial
Rationale: Denial involves refusing to acknowledge an uncomfortable reality
or fact because accepting it causes psychological distress.
Q2. A patient blames a nurse for being angry when the patient is
actually angry with the healthcare team. Which defense mechanism
is demonstrated?
A) Projection
B) Regression
C) Rationalization
D) Sublimation
Correct Answer: A) Projection
Rationale: Projection involves attributing one's own unacceptable thoughts or
feelings to another person.
Q3. Which defense mechanism involves redirecting emotions from
an unacceptable target toward a safer target?
A) Displacement
B) Denial
C) Repression
D) Compensation
Correct Answer: A) Displacement
Rationale: Displacement occurs when emotions directed toward one person
or situation are transferred to a less threatening target.
Q4. A patient is angry with a supervisor but goes home and yells at
a family member. Which defense mechanism is being used?
, A) Projection
B) Displacement
C) Denial
D) Intellectualization
Correct Answer: B) Displacement
Rationale: The patient redirects anger from the threatening source to a safer
person.
Q5. Which defense mechanism involves providing socially
acceptable explanations for behavior that actually has a different
underlying motivation?
A) Rationalization
B) Regression
C) Suppression
D) Sublimation
Correct Answer: A) Rationalization
Rationale: Rationalization involves creating explanations that make
unacceptable behavior, thoughts, or feelings seem reasonable.
Q6. A patient says, “I failed the exam because the teacher
deliberately made it impossible,” despite not studying. Which
defense mechanism is most evident?
A) Projection
B) Rationalization
C) Regression
D) Sublimation
Correct Answer: B) Rationalization
Rationale: The patient is creating an acceptable explanation to avoid
acknowledging the actual reason for failure.
Q7. Which defense mechanism involves unconsciously blocking
distressing thoughts or memories from awareness?
A) Repression
B) Displacement
C) Compensation
D) Reaction formation
Galen College
Q1. Which defense mechanism involves refusing to accept a painful
or threatening reality?
A) Projection
B) Denial
C) Sublimation
D) Displacement
Correct Answer: B) Denial
Rationale: Denial involves refusing to acknowledge an uncomfortable reality
or fact because accepting it causes psychological distress.
Q2. A patient blames a nurse for being angry when the patient is
actually angry with the healthcare team. Which defense mechanism
is demonstrated?
A) Projection
B) Regression
C) Rationalization
D) Sublimation
Correct Answer: A) Projection
Rationale: Projection involves attributing one's own unacceptable thoughts or
feelings to another person.
Q3. Which defense mechanism involves redirecting emotions from
an unacceptable target toward a safer target?
A) Displacement
B) Denial
C) Repression
D) Compensation
Correct Answer: A) Displacement
Rationale: Displacement occurs when emotions directed toward one person
or situation are transferred to a less threatening target.
Q4. A patient is angry with a supervisor but goes home and yells at
a family member. Which defense mechanism is being used?
, A) Projection
B) Displacement
C) Denial
D) Intellectualization
Correct Answer: B) Displacement
Rationale: The patient redirects anger from the threatening source to a safer
person.
Q5. Which defense mechanism involves providing socially
acceptable explanations for behavior that actually has a different
underlying motivation?
A) Rationalization
B) Regression
C) Suppression
D) Sublimation
Correct Answer: A) Rationalization
Rationale: Rationalization involves creating explanations that make
unacceptable behavior, thoughts, or feelings seem reasonable.
Q6. A patient says, “I failed the exam because the teacher
deliberately made it impossible,” despite not studying. Which
defense mechanism is most evident?
A) Projection
B) Rationalization
C) Regression
D) Sublimation
Correct Answer: B) Rationalization
Rationale: The patient is creating an acceptable explanation to avoid
acknowledging the actual reason for failure.
Q7. Which defense mechanism involves unconsciously blocking
distressing thoughts or memories from awareness?
A) Repression
B) Displacement
C) Compensation
D) Reaction formation
