Table 31–4 EgoDef
enseMechani
sms
Defense Mechanism Example(s) Use/Purpose
Compensation: coverin A high school student Allows an
g up weaknesses by too small to play individual to
emphasizing a more football becomes the overcome
desirable star long-distance weakness and
trait or by runner for the track achieve success
overachievement in a team.
more comfortable area
Denial: attempting to A woman, though told Temporarily
screen or ignore her father has isolates an
unacceptable realities by metastatic cancer, individual from the
refusing to acknowledge continues to plan a full impact of a
them family reunion 18 traumatic situation
months in advance.
Displacement: transferr A husband and wife are Allows for feelings
ing or discharging fighting, and the to be expressed
emotional reactions from husband becomes so through or to less
one object or person to angry he hits a door dangerous objects
another object or person instead of his wife. or people
A student gets a C on a
paper she worked hard
on and goes home and
yells at her family.
Identification: attempti A student nurse Helps an individual
ng to manage anxiety by imitates the nurturing avoid self-
imitating the behavior of behavior she observes devaluation
someone feared or one of her instructors
respected using with patients.
Intellectualization: rid The pain over a parent’s Protects an
of painful incident by sudden death is individual from
using rational reduced by saying, “He pain and traumatic
explanations that remove wouldn’t have wanted events
enseMechani
sms
Defense Mechanism Example(s) Use/Purpose
Compensation: coverin A high school student Allows an
g up weaknesses by too small to play individual to
emphasizing a more football becomes the overcome
desirable star long-distance weakness and
trait or by runner for the track achieve success
overachievement in a team.
more comfortable area
Denial: attempting to A woman, though told Temporarily
screen or ignore her father has isolates an
unacceptable realities by metastatic cancer, individual from the
refusing to acknowledge continues to plan a full impact of a
them family reunion 18 traumatic situation
months in advance.
Displacement: transferr A husband and wife are Allows for feelings
ing or discharging fighting, and the to be expressed
emotional reactions from husband becomes so through or to less
one object or person to angry he hits a door dangerous objects
another object or person instead of his wife. or people
A student gets a C on a
paper she worked hard
on and goes home and
yells at her family.
Identification: attempti A student nurse Helps an individual
ng to manage anxiety by imitates the nurturing avoid self-
imitating the behavior of behavior she observes devaluation
someone feared or one of her instructors
respected using with patients.
Intellectualization: rid The pain over a parent’s Protects an
of painful incident by sudden death is individual from
using rational reduced by saying, “He pain and traumatic
explanations that remove wouldn’t have wanted events
