N322 Defense Mechanisms Exam Questions Answered Correctly Latest Update 2025-2026
Denial - Answers denying that something exists
Denial example - Answers being the victim of a violent crime, yet denying that the incident
occurred
Displacement - Answers the discharge of pent-up feelings onto something or someone else
Displacement example - Answers after being berated by her boss, the wife comes home and
starts an argument w/ her husband
Dissociation - Answers temporary alteration of LOC
Dissociation example - Answers after an accident, the individual has no recall of events related
to the accident
Fantasy - Answers substituting frustrated desires, achievements, and relationships w/
daydreams and imagery
Fantasy example - Answers an unpopular student is not invited to social events, the student
fantasizes about going to prom w/ the class president
Identification - Answers incorporation of the image of an emulated person, then acting, thinking,
and feeling like that person
Identification example - Answers gang members dress exactly like their leader and do what the
leader does
Intellectualization - Answers the overuse of abstract thinking or generalizations to control or
avoid painful feelings
Intellectualization example - Answers a man who faces a pending divorce engages in lengthy
discussion about divorce statistics but never talks about his own fears and feelings
Introjection - Answers acceptance of another's values and opinions as one's own
Introjection example - Answers a young man deals w/ a business client in the same way that his
father deals w/ business clients
Projection - Answers individuals attribute characteristics they find unacceptable in themselves
to another person
Projection example - Answers a married man who is attracted to a female coworker and instead
of admitting this to himself, he might accuse her of flirting w/ him
Rationalization - Answers use of a contrived, socially acceptable and logical explanation to
justify unpleasant situations, and to keep it out of consciousness
Denial - Answers denying that something exists
Denial example - Answers being the victim of a violent crime, yet denying that the incident
occurred
Displacement - Answers the discharge of pent-up feelings onto something or someone else
Displacement example - Answers after being berated by her boss, the wife comes home and
starts an argument w/ her husband
Dissociation - Answers temporary alteration of LOC
Dissociation example - Answers after an accident, the individual has no recall of events related
to the accident
Fantasy - Answers substituting frustrated desires, achievements, and relationships w/
daydreams and imagery
Fantasy example - Answers an unpopular student is not invited to social events, the student
fantasizes about going to prom w/ the class president
Identification - Answers incorporation of the image of an emulated person, then acting, thinking,
and feeling like that person
Identification example - Answers gang members dress exactly like their leader and do what the
leader does
Intellectualization - Answers the overuse of abstract thinking or generalizations to control or
avoid painful feelings
Intellectualization example - Answers a man who faces a pending divorce engages in lengthy
discussion about divorce statistics but never talks about his own fears and feelings
Introjection - Answers acceptance of another's values and opinions as one's own
Introjection example - Answers a young man deals w/ a business client in the same way that his
father deals w/ business clients
Projection - Answers individuals attribute characteristics they find unacceptable in themselves
to another person
Projection example - Answers a married man who is attracted to a female coworker and instead
of admitting this to himself, he might accuse her of flirting w/ him
Rationalization - Answers use of a contrived, socially acceptable and logical explanation to
justify unpleasant situations, and to keep it out of consciousness
