AMFTRB Exam: Special Topics questions
and answers 100%Correctly verified answers
latest update 2025/2026 RATED A+
Psychological defense mechanisms - CORRECT ANSWERS help the ego cope
with anxiety, frustration, and unacceptable impulses, as well as relieve tension
between inner psychological reality and demands of external world
These 3 defense mechanisms are considered primitive defenses because they are
more out of touch with reality - CORRECT ANSWERS Denial, reaction
formation, and projection
6 defense mechanisms that represent higher level of functioning - CORRECT
ANSWERS Sublimation, undoing, rationalization, displacement, identification,
and intellectualization
Rationalization - CORRECT ANSWERS Defense process by which reasons
justify an action or opinion. Helps person cope with disappointments by blaming
external circumstances (e.g., hitting children as "punishment" after being hit by
spouse; getting turned down, thinking "that person is really snobby")
Repression - CORRECT ANSWERS Defense process that refuses to let into
awareness unacceptable impulses but remains unconsciously operative in behavior
(e.g., phobia of dogs but can't remember first time afraid; internalized homophobia)
Displacement - CORRECT ANSWERS Defense mechanism in which affect is
transferred from one object to another (e.g., yell at spouse bc can't at boss;
compulsively eats lollipops after quit smoking)
Identification - CORRECT ANSWERS Process by which qualities of external
object are absorbed into one's personality (e.g., child deciding to follow dad's steps
and become a lawyer, Bruce Lee fan becomes disciplined in martial arts)
Intellectualization - CORRECT ANSWERS Content is separated from repressed
affect (e.g., telling traumatic event as if scripted story; researching PTSD criteria
instead of addressing emotional pain)
, AMFTRB Exam: Special Topics questions
and answers 100%Correctly verified answers
latest update 2025/2026 RATED A+
Asceticism - CORRECT ANSWERS Rigorous self-denial (e.g., refusing to
eat/sleep until project is done; refusing to engage in all pleasurable activities to
cope with sexual tension)
Reaction Formation - CORRECT ANSWERS Defense mechanism by which
unacceptable impulses are expressed as their opposites. Helps relieve anxiety and
guilt assoc with true impulse (e.g., angry employee being overly nice to boss; being
overprotective over unwanted child; gay man dates women and criticizes gay men)
Introjection and internalization - CORRECT ANSWERS Introjection is the
internalization of outside events or characteristics of other people (e.g., victim
identifying w aggressor's behaviors to protect himself; putting on her seat belt
before driving away in her car.)
Projection - CORRECT ANSWERS Defense mechanism that places
unacceptable feelings from the person feeling them onto another person (e.g.,
highly anxious colleague complaining about another's anxieties; someone
complains no one likes him but he does not like himself or others)
Denial - CORRECT ANSWERS Distorts reality and does not acknowledge
emotion. Uncommon in very young children because unable to distinguish between
fantasy and reality (e.g., eating unhealthy food despite dr orders healthier eating;
alcoholic attends recovery program but still drinks alcohol)
Sublimation - CORRECT ANSWERS Displace unacceptable instincts for
constructive and socially acceptable behaviors (e.g., person with MDD may use
dance to help sublimate suicidal thoughts; person with aggressive impulses
becomes kickboxing instructor)
Undoing - CORRECT ANSWERS avoid being punished for undesirable thoughts
or actions (e.g., partner unconsciously undoes adulterous acts by buying partner
lavish gifts; being overtly nice to someone you insulted in your mind)
Cybersex addiction/dependence - CORRECT ANSWERS An emotional
dependency on sexually-oriented internet and internet-related sites (chat rooms,
and answers 100%Correctly verified answers
latest update 2025/2026 RATED A+
Psychological defense mechanisms - CORRECT ANSWERS help the ego cope
with anxiety, frustration, and unacceptable impulses, as well as relieve tension
between inner psychological reality and demands of external world
These 3 defense mechanisms are considered primitive defenses because they are
more out of touch with reality - CORRECT ANSWERS Denial, reaction
formation, and projection
6 defense mechanisms that represent higher level of functioning - CORRECT
ANSWERS Sublimation, undoing, rationalization, displacement, identification,
and intellectualization
Rationalization - CORRECT ANSWERS Defense process by which reasons
justify an action or opinion. Helps person cope with disappointments by blaming
external circumstances (e.g., hitting children as "punishment" after being hit by
spouse; getting turned down, thinking "that person is really snobby")
Repression - CORRECT ANSWERS Defense process that refuses to let into
awareness unacceptable impulses but remains unconsciously operative in behavior
(e.g., phobia of dogs but can't remember first time afraid; internalized homophobia)
Displacement - CORRECT ANSWERS Defense mechanism in which affect is
transferred from one object to another (e.g., yell at spouse bc can't at boss;
compulsively eats lollipops after quit smoking)
Identification - CORRECT ANSWERS Process by which qualities of external
object are absorbed into one's personality (e.g., child deciding to follow dad's steps
and become a lawyer, Bruce Lee fan becomes disciplined in martial arts)
Intellectualization - CORRECT ANSWERS Content is separated from repressed
affect (e.g., telling traumatic event as if scripted story; researching PTSD criteria
instead of addressing emotional pain)
, AMFTRB Exam: Special Topics questions
and answers 100%Correctly verified answers
latest update 2025/2026 RATED A+
Asceticism - CORRECT ANSWERS Rigorous self-denial (e.g., refusing to
eat/sleep until project is done; refusing to engage in all pleasurable activities to
cope with sexual tension)
Reaction Formation - CORRECT ANSWERS Defense mechanism by which
unacceptable impulses are expressed as their opposites. Helps relieve anxiety and
guilt assoc with true impulse (e.g., angry employee being overly nice to boss; being
overprotective over unwanted child; gay man dates women and criticizes gay men)
Introjection and internalization - CORRECT ANSWERS Introjection is the
internalization of outside events or characteristics of other people (e.g., victim
identifying w aggressor's behaviors to protect himself; putting on her seat belt
before driving away in her car.)
Projection - CORRECT ANSWERS Defense mechanism that places
unacceptable feelings from the person feeling them onto another person (e.g.,
highly anxious colleague complaining about another's anxieties; someone
complains no one likes him but he does not like himself or others)
Denial - CORRECT ANSWERS Distorts reality and does not acknowledge
emotion. Uncommon in very young children because unable to distinguish between
fantasy and reality (e.g., eating unhealthy food despite dr orders healthier eating;
alcoholic attends recovery program but still drinks alcohol)
Sublimation - CORRECT ANSWERS Displace unacceptable instincts for
constructive and socially acceptable behaviors (e.g., person with MDD may use
dance to help sublimate suicidal thoughts; person with aggressive impulses
becomes kickboxing instructor)
Undoing - CORRECT ANSWERS avoid being punished for undesirable thoughts
or actions (e.g., partner unconsciously undoes adulterous acts by buying partner
lavish gifts; being overtly nice to someone you insulted in your mind)
Cybersex addiction/dependence - CORRECT ANSWERS An emotional
dependency on sexually-oriented internet and internet-related sites (chat rooms,
