Classifications of Defense Mechanisms

1. Withdrawal Reactions - Or Flight Reactions, wherein the individual escapes from his/her
problems or frustrations
Fantasy/Daydreaming - The subject transforms his failure into something successful in
his imagination.
Regression Retreating bac to an earlier and less mature level of developmental stage.
Reaction Formation !elieving the opposite or hiding a motive b" giving strong
e#pression to the opposite.
Repression The most basic defense mechanism. $t is termed as motivated forgetting.
(Unconscious forgetting)
Denial $nvolves negating or blocing e#ternal events from one%s awareness.
Sppression &onscious forgetfulness of painful and unpleasant thoughts and feelings.
'. !ggressi"e Reactions - Or Fight Reactions, wherein the subject attacs or confronts the
source of his frustrations.
Displacement ( $t refers to the redirection of negative impulses or feelings from an original
object to a safer, less threatening or neutral substitute.
#dentification ( Taing into "our own personalit" characteristics of someone else.
$ro%ection ( The tendenc" to attribute one%s traits to other people.
#ntro%ection ( )ttributing to oneself the good *ualities of another.
&. Compromise Reactions -The" are defense reactions emplo"ed b" lowering one%s goals
though not totall" giving up the nature of the original goal.

Rationali'ation ( The distortion of the facts to justif" one%s conduct b" offering sociall"
accepted reasons in place of real facts. This ma" be manifested b"+
a. Sour-grape mechanism ( an e#cuse for failure.
b. Sweet-lemon mechanism ( One pretends to lie what he reall" dislies.
#ntellectali'ation ( )ttempting gain detachment from a stressful situation b" dealing with
it in an intellectual term.
Compensation ( ,isguising or covering up the presence of an undesirable trait b"
emphasi-ing a desirable one.
Two Types of Compensation:
'. Direct Compensation ( tr"ing to achieve success in the person%s ver" field of failure.
.. Indirect Compensation ( Tr"ing to gain success in other unrelated field of failure.
S(limation ( This is the replacement of unacceptable activities or goals into sociall"
acceptable ones.