Defence Mechanism are often associated with the ego, that is why they are called ego defence mechanism.
They are strategies employed by the ego for protection in the face of threat to biological and psychological integrity.
Ego is the reality component of personality, this is because the ego attempt to resolve conflicts that comes to self either from the ID or from the superego. When there is conflict, the level of anxiety increases and the strength of the ego is being tested. The energy mobilized by the ego to confront this threat is known as defence mechanism.
Categories of Defence Mechanism
It mechanism can be categorized into the following;
1. Mechanism of Denail
2. Mechanism of Modification
3. mechanism of Retreat
1. Mechanism of Denail
These are those mechanisms in which the individual feels uncomfortable in the situation he/she find himself/herself, thus attempting to deny it or rejecting to have anything to do with it. Examples of these include;
a. Repression/Suppression
This is when painful experiences, unacceptable thoughts and impulses, as well as disagreeable memories are involuntarily dismissed from one’s awareness. When the individual voluntarily tries not to remember such experience by refusing to think or talk about it, it is called suppression.
b. Reaction Formation
This is when an individual expresses an attitude or action that is directly opposite to his her undesirable behaviour, thought or trait.
c. Compensation
this is when one is covering up or making up for a real or percieved weakness by emphasizing or exhibiting a behaviour or trait considered to be more desirable.
d. Denail, disssociation or Isolation
This when one refuses to acknowledge the existence of a real situation or feeling associated with it because he or she does not support it.
e. Rationalization
This is when one tries to make an excuse or find logical reason to justify someones feelings, action or activity.
f. Projection
This is when feelings, impulses, faults or the basis of a thing is shifted to another person that is not really accountable or responsible.
G. Displacement
this is when feelings are transferred or directed towards the object or person that does not deserve it, as a safety valve or because the receiving end is less threatening than the actual source.
2. Mechanism of Modification
These are those mechanism in which persons who find themselves in disadvantageous situation put forth as an acceptable behaviour in order to divert or reduce the effect of the situation on them selves.
They include;
a Sublimation
re-channeling of drives and impulses that are personally or socially unacceptable into activities that are constructive.
b. Identification
the attempt to increase self worth by acquiring certain attributes and characteristics of an individual one admires.
c. intellectualization
This is an attempt to avoid expressing actual emotions associated with stressful situation by using the intellectual process of logic, reasoning and analysis.
d. Undoing
Symbolically or indirectly negating or canceling out an experience that one finds intolerable
3. Mechanism of Retreat
these are those defence mechanism in which individuals reverse their attitude due to strong emotional conflict or withdraws from the usual pattern of behaviour as a diversion. They include;
a. conversion
An unconscious transference where one converts strong emotional conflicts into physical signs and symptoms.
b. Regression
This is a retreat from the expected pattern of life to a more infantile mode of behaviour.
We hope this information was helpful, feel free to ask your questions in the comment section bellow.