Showing posts with label Defense Mechanisms. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Defense Mechanisms. Show all posts

Monday, January 9, 2023

Undoing in Psychology

 


Undoing is a defense mechanism in psychology where an individual tries to negate or undo a previous action or thought by performing a new behavior that is the opposite of the previous one. It is often used to alleviate feelings of guilt, anxiety, or shame caused by a particular thought or action. For instance, if someone engages in dishonest behavior, they may try to undo it by performing an act of honesty or charity.

 Undoing is a Level 6 Defense Mechanism.

An example of undoing in a religious context is a person who regularly attends religious services but also engages in immoral behavior. To counteract their immoral actions, they may engage in religious rituals or acts of penance to undo their wrongdoing and restore a sense of moral purity.

 

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), undoing is classified as a defense mechanism that falls under the category of "unconscious strategies that distort reality in order to reduce anxiety, guilt, or shame" (APA, 2017, p. 652). It is considered a maladaptive coping mechanism because it does not address the underlying issue and can lead to repeated negative behaviors.

 

Reference

American Psychological Association. (2017). APA dictionary of psychology (2nd ed.). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/15916-000


Resources

A- Z List of Defense Mechanisms with descriptions

 

Psychotic Defense Mechanisms described

 

Defense Mechanisms Rating Scales

            Form Self-Report 30

            Q-Sort Version

 

Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Psychology. He retired from a clinical practice and was credentialed in clinical neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. His website is  www.suttong.com

 

See Geoffrey Sutton’s books on   AMAZON       or  GOOGLE STORE

Follow on    FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton    

   TWITTER  @Geoff.W.Sutton    

You can read many published articles at no charge:

  Academia   Geoff W Sutton     ResearchGate   Geoffrey W Sutton 

 

Dr. Sutton’s posts are for educational purposes only. See a licensed mental health provider for diagnoses, treatment, and consultation.


Suppression in Psychology

 

Suppression in the service of oneself 2023
Geoffrey W. Sutton & Bing AI


Suppression is an active process of avoiding distressful memories, thoughts, and feelings.

Suppression is a generally adaptive strategy of regulating one’s thoughts and feelings.

 Suppression is linked to mental health. A person may set aside distressful problems until they can deal with them at another time or place. Alternatively, a person may minimize but not ignore distressing emotions, experiences, or life problems (Vaillant, 2000). People who have a minor yet distressing accident whilst on holiday may choose to deal with the matter after they return home.

Suppression is a Level 7 Defense Mechanism.

Resources

A- Z List of Defense Mechanisms with descriptions

 

Psychotic Defense Mechanisms described

 

Defense Mechanisms Rating Scales

            Form Self-Report 30

            Q-Sort Version

 


Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Psychology. He retired from a clinical practice and was credentialed in clinical neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. His website is  www.suttong.com

 

See Geoffrey Sutton’s books on   AMAZON       or  GOOGLE STORE

Follow on    FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton    

   TWITTER  @Geoff.W.Sutton    

You can read many published articles at no charge:

  Academia   Geoff W Sutton     ResearchGate   Geoffrey W Sutton 

 

Dr. Sutton’s posts are for educational purposes only. See a licensed mental health provider for diagnoses, treatment, and consultation.

Sublimation in Psychology

 


Sublimation is a generally adaptive strategy of managing potentially harmful urges into safe and acceptable activities. Feelings of anger and the urge to be aggressive may be deployed when exercising or playing sports. Desire for risky or unacceptable sex may be expressed in artistic projects that are not necessarily sexual.

Sublimation is a Level 7 Defense Mechanism.

Sublimation and the Psychology of Religion

Religion can be seen as a form of sublimation. Religious people often channel their emotions, desires, and fears into their faith. They may pray, meditate, or participate in religious rituals as a way of dealing with difficult emotions. Religion can also provide a sense of community and belonging, which can be helpful for people who are struggling with loneliness or isolation.



Resources

A- Z List of Defense Mechanisms with descriptions

 

Psychotic Defense Mechanisms described

 

Defense Mechanisms Rating Scales

            Form Self-Report 30

            Q-Sort Version

 References

See Cohen and Kim 2020


Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Psychology. He retired from a clinical practice and was credentialed in clinical neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. His website is  www.suttong.com

 

See Geoffrey Sutton’s books on   AMAZON       or  GOOGLE STORE

Follow on    FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton    

   TWITTER  @Geoff.W.Sutton    

You can read many published articles at no charge:

  Academia   Geoff W Sutton     ResearchGate   Geoffrey W Sutton 

 

Dr. Sutton’s posts are for educational purposes only. See a licensed mental health provider for diagnoses, treatment, and consultation.


Photo credit: Painting of Two men and two women enjoying a vigorous game of tennis by Geoff Sutton and DALL.E 24 March 2023

Rationalization in Psychology

 


Rationalization is the use of reasoning to justify behavior considered unacceptable according to one’s personal moral code or the norms of their group. People offer a variety of reasons to justify theft, sexual infidelity, obnoxious behavior under the influence of substances, and so forth. 

People appear to revise their beliefs and desires to match the rationalization. It is not clear how the mind works to create post hoc rationalizations for behavior and then to integrate them into the self. There are many influences on thinking such as memories, features of the present context, recent events, and so forth.

Rationalization is a Level 3 Defense Mechanism.

Applications

Rationalization and the Psychology of Religion

When events or evidence threaten the identity of religious people and cause distress, religious leaders may offer various reasons why available evidence does not support a doctrine, theological belief, or prophecy. An example might be many Christians acceptance of the Big Bang theory and evolution as compatible with the concept of creation demonstrates rationalization. The Church has rationalized these scientific theories by interpreting them as part of God's method of creation, rather than seeing them as contradictory to religious beliefs.

Rationalization and Social / Political Psychology

Politicians grilled by journalists may quickly offer a made-up reason for something they did, which is considered damaging to their career plans unless the action can be justified by offering positive outcomes like saving lives or explaining that what they said was taken out of context.

Rationalization and Developmental Psychology

Children caught in an act of disobedience may offer a fictional explanation to justify their behavior to avoid punishment. Often the explanations are simple and even humorous and provide examples of how quick the mind works. A few examples of reasons children give for not doing their homework.


“My dog ate it.” 

“I forgot it at home.”

“I didn’t understand it.”

“I was too busy with [insert activity].”

“I couldn’t find my homework.”

“I had no internet access.” (For the digital age!)



Resources

A- Z List of Defense Mechanisms with descriptions

 

Psychotic Defense Mechanisms described

 

Defense Mechanisms Rating Scales

            Form Self-Report 30

            Q-Sort Version

 


Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Psychology. He retired from a clinical practice and was credentialed in clinical neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. His website is  www.suttong.com

 

See Geoffrey Sutton’s books on   AMAZON       or  GOOGLE STORE

Follow on    FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton    

   TWITTER  @Geoff.W.Sutton    

You can read many published articles at no charge:

  Academia   Geoff W Sutton     ResearchGate   Geoffrey W Sutton 

 

Dr. Sutton’s posts are for educational purposes only. See a licensed mental health provider for diagnoses, treatment, and consultation.