Process by which a person makes up for a deficiency in his image of himself by strongly emphasizing some other feature that he regards as an asset.
Denial
Avoidance of disagreeable realities by ignoring or refusing to recognize them; probably simplest and most primitive of all defense mechanisms.
Displacement
Shift of emotion from a person or object toward which it was originally directed to another usually neutral or less dangerous person or object.
Identification
Process by which a person tries to become like someone he admires by taking on thoughts, mannerisms or tastes of the individual.
Introjection
Intense type of identification in which a person incorporates qualities or values of another person or group into his own ego structure. It is one of the earliest mechanisms of the child; important in formation of conscious.
Isolation
Splitting off of emotional components of a thought which may be temporary or long-term.
Projection
Attributing one's own thoughts or impulses to another person. Through this process once can attribute his own intolerable wishes, emotional feelings or motivations to another person.
Rationalization
Offering a socially acceptable or apparently logical explanation to justify or make acceptable otherwise unacceptable impulses, feelings, behaviors and motives.
Reaction Formation
Development of conscious attitudes and behavior patterns that are opposite tow hat one really feels or would like to do.
Regression
Retreat in face of stress to behavior characteristics of any earlier level of development.
Repression
Involuntary exclusion of a painful or conflictual though, impulse or memory from awareness. It is primary ego defense and other mechanisms tend to reindorce it.
Sublimation
Acceptance of a socially approved substitute goal for a drive whose normal channel of expression is blocked.
Suppression
A process often listed as a defense mechanism, but it is really a conscious analog of repression. It is intentional exclusion of material from consciousness. At times it may lead to subsequent repression.
Undoing
Act or communication that partially negates a previous one; primitive defense mechanism.
