Psyc. Defense Mechanisms

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| By JustPlainDani

JustPlainDani

Community Contributor

Quizzes Created: 1 | Total Attempts: 18,309

Questions: 6 | Attempts: 18,315 | Updated: Apr 17, 2023

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Test yourself now and know how much knowledge you have about human beings and their different defense mechanisms. You might discover you have one or several of them! It is a fun discovery quiz, all the best.

Questions and Answers

1.

Tim is a shop owner and a thief. He automatically accuses anyone who looks suspicious in his store of stealing. This is an example of what defense mechanism?
- A.
  
  Repression
- B.
  
  Reaction Formation
- C.
  
  Denial
- D.
  
  Projection
- E.
  
  Sublimation
Correct Answer
D. Projection

Explanation
Projection is the correct answer because Tim, the shop owner, is projecting his own tendencies as a thief onto others by automatically accusing them of stealing. He is unable to acknowledge his own behavior and instead attributes it to others who appear suspicious in his store. This defense mechanism allows him to avoid confronting his own guilt and maintain a sense of self-righteousness.

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2.

Karen decides to go out and party the whole week before her midterm instead of study. She fails her midterm, and tells her parents that she failed it due to being sick and not getting enough sleep. This is an example of what defense mechanism?
- A.
  
  Rationalization
- B.
  
  Sublimation
- C.
  
  Denial
- D.
  
  Repression
- E.
  
  Reaction Formation
Correct Answer
A. Rationalization

Explanation
Karen's explanation for failing her midterm due to being sick and not getting enough sleep is an example of rationalization. Rationalization is a defense mechanism where individuals create justifications or excuses for their actions or behaviors in order to protect their self-esteem or avoid feelings of guilt or responsibility. In this case, Karen is rationalizing her failure by attributing it to external factors beyond her control, rather than taking responsibility for her own choices to party instead of studying.

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9
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3.

Instead of taking out his anger on others, Nathan, when he gets really angry, plays the saxophone. This is an example of what defense mechanism?
- A.
  
  Repression
- B.
  
  Sublimation
- C.
  
  Denial
- D.
  
  Reaction Formation
- E.
  
  Projection
Correct Answer
B. Sublimation

Explanation
Sublimation is the defense mechanism where an individual channels their unacceptable or negative impulses into socially acceptable behaviors. In this scenario, Nathan redirects his anger into playing the saxophone, which is a productive and creative outlet. By engaging in this activity, he is able to release his anger in a non-harmful way, avoiding taking it out on others. This demonstrates the concept of sublimation as a defense mechanism.

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7
1
4.

Jenny blocks her bad memories of high school bullies from her mind. This is an example of what defense mechanism?
- A.
  
  Denial
- B.
  
  Reaction Formation
- C.
  
  Projection
- D.
  
  Repression
- E.
  
  Sublimation
Correct Answer
D. Repression

Explanation
Repression is the defense mechanism where an individual unconsciously blocks or pushes away distressing memories, thoughts, or feelings from their conscious awareness. In this scenario, Jenny is using repression to cope with her bad memories of high school bullies by pushing them out of her conscious mind. This allows her to avoid the emotional pain associated with those memories and continue with her daily life without being overwhelmed by negative emotions.

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5.

James's favorite uncle passes away from a long battle with illness, but he refuses to believe that it happened. This is an example of what defense mechanism?
- A.
  
  Denial
- B.
  
  Reaction Formation
- C.
  
  Sublimation
- D.
  
  Repression
- E.
  
  Projection
Correct Answer
A. Denial

Explanation
In this scenario, James's refusal to believe that his favorite uncle has passed away from illness is an example of denial. Denial is a defense mechanism where individuals refuse to accept or acknowledge a painful reality or truth. James is using denial as a way to cope with the loss of his uncle by rejecting the reality of his death.

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6.

Betty is angry with Matt, but eventually she becomes friends and is nice to him. This is an example of what defense mechanism?
- A.
  
  Reaction Formation
- B.
  
  Denial
- C.
  
  Rationalization
- D.
  
  Sublimation
- E.
  
  Projection
Correct Answer
A. Reaction Formation

Explanation
Reaction Formation is a defense mechanism in which a person expresses the opposite of their true feelings or impulses. In this scenario, Betty initially feels anger towards Matt, but instead of expressing her anger, she becomes friends with him and treats him nicely. This is an example of reaction formation because Betty is displaying behavior that is opposite to her true feelings of anger.

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18
1

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Current Version
Apr 17, 2023

Quiz Edited by
ProProfs Editorial Team
May 17, 2010

Quiz Created by
JustPlainDani

Psyc. Defense Mechanisms

Tim is a shop owner and a thief. He automatically accuses anyone who looks suspicious in his store of stealing. This is an example of what defense mechanism?

Karen decides to go out and party the whole week before her midterm instead of study. She fails her midterm, and tells her parents that she failed it due to being sick and not getting enough sleep. This is an example of what defense mechanism?

Instead of taking out his anger on others, Nathan, when he gets really angry, plays the saxophone. This is an example of what defense mechanism?

Jenny blocks her bad memories of high school bullies from her mind. This is an example of what defense mechanism?

James's favorite uncle passes away from a long battle with illness, but he refuses to believe that it happened. This is an example of what defense mechanism?

Betty is angry with Matt, but eventually she becomes friends and is nice to him. This is an example of what defense mechanism?