PSYCHOLOGY Concepts and Theories

Defense Mechanisms Rating Scales

A- Z List of Defense Mechanisms with descriptions

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.

Intellectualization in Psychology

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Geoffrey Sutton & Bing Image Creator

Intellectualization is a cognitive defense strategy of avoiding distressing feelings by analyzing events as if there were no emotions involved. The intellectualization may not reflect highly intelligent thought processes.

Talking about how a loved one died may keep the pain of loss at an emotional distance by focusing on the intellectual facts of the death.

People may explore why their difficult experience of abortion, sex trafficking, or rape in an abstract and unemotional way as a defense against strong emotions and taking action that could lead to post-traumatic growth. Their thoughts about "why" something happened may not be sophisticated but they use their problem-solving ability to try to understand what to most people would be a highly emotional expeirence.

Intellectualization is a Level 6 Defense Mechanism.

Resources

Defense Mechanisms Rating Scales

A- Z List of Defense Mechanisms with descriptions

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.

Idealization in Psychology

Idealization is the process of coping with stressors or conflicts by attributing exaggerated positive qualities to oneself or someone else. The person describes oneself, other people, or organizations, or beliefs systems in glowing terms. Any negative characteristics of the idealized object are downplayed. Self-esteem is bolstered by association with the ideal.

Idealization is a Level 4 Defense Mechanism.

Resources

Defense Mechanisms Rating Scales

A- Z List of Defense Mechanisms with descriptions

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.

Help-rejecting complaining in Psychology

Help-rejecting complaining is a term that replaces an older term known as hypochondriasis. The defense is evident in a series of complaints leading to requests for help. But feelings of anger and resentment lead to rejecting any help that may be offered. Common complaints are about health and life problems.

Help-rejecting complaining is a Level 1 Defense Mechanism.

Resources

Defense Mechanisms Rating Scales

A- Z List of Defense Mechanisms with descriptions

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.

Fantasy (Autistic or Schizoid) in Psychology

Fantasy is the excessive and unproductive use of daydreaming to deal with stressors and conflicts instead of attempting to solve a problem, take constructive action to deal with a conflict or source of distress, or interacting with others to deal with conflicts or distress. Fantasy may substitute for powerlessness and involve grandiosity.

Fantasy is a Level 3 Defense Mechanism.

Resources

Defense Mechanisms Rating Scales

A- Z List of Defense Mechanisms with descriptions

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.

Dissociation in Psychology

Dissociation is an extreme distancing of oneself from a troubling context. Dissociation may be seen in victims of trauma. “Shutting down” emotionally can temporarily allow a person to function in the face of a severe threat instead of responding in a panic or with excessive rage. Dissociation may be associated with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

A common illustration of a nonsevere type of dissociation is the case of driving a familiar route whilst daydreaming about something else. Your mind is temporarily elsewhere.

Displacement is a Level 5 Defense Mechanism.

Resources

Defense Mechanisms Rating Scales

A- Z List of Defense Mechanisms with descriptions

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.

Displacement in Psychology

Transferring a perceived conflict with one source to a different source. Anger toward a coworker or supervisor may be transferred to a family member. Anger toward a person identified with a specific group may be displaced toward someone else sharing a similar salient feature (e.g., appearance, speech, skin color, and so forth).

Displacement is a Level 5 Defense Mechanism.

Resources

Defense Mechanisms Rating Scales

A- Z List of Defense Mechanisms with descriptions

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.

Devaluation in Psychology

Devaluation is an excessively negative appraisal of oneself or another person when faced with stressors or conflicts. Personal self-esteem may be protected by sarcastic or caustic comments directed at another person. Personal feelings of worthlessness or vulnerability may be covered up in the process.

Devaluation is a Level 4 Defense Mechanism.

Resources

Defense Mechanisms Rating Scales

A- Z List of Defense Mechanisms with descriptions

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.

Denial in Psychology

Denial is the refusal to accept the facts about a highly distressing event.

Clark (1991) offered this brief definition: "Rejecting responsibility for unacceptable experiences." He provided examples related to substance abuse and educational concerns (p. 232):

"I don't have a drug problem."

"I'm improving in my grades."

"I didn't do it."

"It didn't happen that way."

"Nobody ever told me."

Clark notes that disputing the responses can lead to stronger statements.

Despite the facts about miserable sickness and death rates, people deny the need for protection against a virus or disease. People who are often dysfunctional linked to excessive use of alcohol or other drugs can be in denial about their substance abuse or dependence. Some religious people claim healing despite the evidence of ongoing symptoms.

Denial is a Level 3 Defense Mechanism.

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John Porerelli and his research team (1998) studied denial and other defenses in children and adolescents. They found that the use of denial and projection were less in young participants in contrast to older participants who used identification.

Belchev and others (2017) studied patients with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). They found that

"Trait use of primitive defence mechanisms significantly predicted impaired awareness of overall functioning (denial), self ‐ sufficiency in activities in daily life (ADL; denial), emotional functioning (projection), and interpersonal functioning deficits (denial, projection)."

Vos and de Haas (2007) studied denial in cancer patients. The frequency of the denial defense varied from 4 to 47%. Not surprisingly, older patients used denial more than others did.

References

Belchev, Z., Levy, N., Berman, I., Levinzon, H., Hoofien, D., & Gilboa, A. (2017). Psychological traits predict impaired awareness of deficits independently of neuropsychological factors in chronic traumatic brain injury. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 56(3), 213–234. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjc.12134

Clark, A. J. (1991). The identification and modification of defense mechanisms in counseling. Journal of Counseling & Development, 69(3), 231–236. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6676.1991.tb01494.x

Porerelli, J. H., Thomas, S., Hibbard, S., & Cogan, R. (1998). Defense mechanisms development in children, adolescents, and late adolescents. Journal of Personality Assessment, 71(3), 411–420. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa7103_9

Vos, M. S., & de Haes, J. C. J. M. (2007). Denial in cancer patients, an explorative review. Psycho-Oncology, 16(1), 12–25. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.1051

Resources

Defense Mechanism Hierarchy- Levels and Categories

Defense Mechanisms Rating Scales