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Chapter 11: Problem 5

Check your understanding of defense mechanisms by identifying specific defenses in the story below. Each example of a defense mechanism is underlined, with a number beneath it. Write in the defense at work in each case in the numbered spaces after the story. The answers are in Appendix A. My boyfriend recently broke up with me after we had dated seriously for several years. At first, I cried a great deal and \(\underline{\text { locked myself in my room, where I pouted endlessly. }}\) was sure that my former boyfriend felt as miserable as I did.\(\underline{\text { I told several friends that he was probably lonely and depressed.}}\) Later, I decided that I hated him.\(\underline{\text { I was happy about the breaküp and talked about how much / was going to enjoy my newfound freedom,}}\) 1 went to parties and socialized a great deal and just forgot about him. \(\underline{\text { It's funny-at one point / couldn't even remember his phone number. }}\) Then I started pining for him again. But eventually l began to look at the situation more objectively. I realized that he had many faults and that \(\underline{\text { we were bound to break up sooner or later, so / was better off without him }}\) 5\. _______________

Short Answer

Expert verified
Short Answer: The defense mechanisms at work in the story are 1) Regression, 2) Projection, 3) Reaction Formation, and 4) Rationalization.

Step by step solution

01

Read the story and identify the underlined parts

Read through the story and make note of the underlined parts. These parts represent specific defense mechanisms at work, and we need to identify them. Make sure you understand the context and emotions involved in each underlined part.
02

Analyze the first underlined part

Analyze the first underlined part: "locked myself in my room, where I pouted endlessly." In this part, the person is avoiding the emotional pain of the breakup by isolating themselves and having a pity party. This behavior reflects the defense mechanism called "Regression," where an individual reverts to an earlier stage of development to cope with the stress or anxiety.
03

Analyze the second underlined part

Analyze the second underlined part: "I told several friends that he was probably lonely and depressed." In this part, the person is assuming that her ex-boyfriend must be feeling the same way as she does. This assumption helps the person feel better about their pain. This behavior represents the defense mechanism called "Projection," where individuals attribute their feelings or thoughts to others.
04

Analyze the third underlined part

Analyze the third underlined part: "I was happy about the breaküp and talked about how much / was going to enjoy my newfound freedom." In this part, the person is claiming happiness and freedom after the breakup while deep inside, they may still feel hurt or sadness. This behavior represents the defense mechanism called "Reaction Formation," where individuals behave in a way opposite to their true feelings to cope with anxiety.
05

Analyze the fourth underlined part

Analyze the fourth underlined part: "we were bound to break up sooner or later, so / was better off without him." In this part, the person is rationalizing the breakup by finding reasons to justify it. This helps the person to cope with the emotional discomfort. This behavior represents the defense mechanism called "Rationalization," where individuals create logical explanations to justify their actions or feelings. Now, we can fill in the numbered spaces in the story: 5. Regression, Projection, Reaction Formation, and Rationalization.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Check your recall of the principal ideas of important personality theorists covered in this chapter by matching the people listed on the left with the appropriate contributions described on the right. Fill in the letters for your choices in the spaces provided on the left. You'll find the answers in Appendix A. Key Ideas and Contributions a. This humanistic theorist is famous for his hierarchy of needs and his work on self-actualizing persons. b. This humanist called his approach a "personcentered theory." He argued that an incongruent self-concept tends to promote anxiety and defensive behavior. c. This influential behaviorist explained personality development in terms of operant conditioning, especially the process of reinforcement. d. This theorist emphasized the importance of unconscious conflicts, anxiety, defense mechanisms, and psychosexual development. e. This behaviorist sparked a robust debate about the importance of the person, as opposed to the situation, in determining behavior. f. This theorist views personality structure as a hierarchy of traits and argues that personality is heavily influenced by heredity. g. This theorist clashed with Freud and argued that the foremost source of human motivation is a striving for superiority. h. This psychodynamic theorist is famous for the concepts of the collective unconscious and archetypes. i. This theorist's social cognitive theory emphasizes observational learning and self-efficacy. Major Theorists _____Sigmund Freud

Check your recall of the principal ideas of important personality theorists covered in this chapter by matching the people listed on the left with the appropriate contributions described on the right. Fill in the letters for your choices in the spaces provided on the left. You'll find the answers in Appendix A. Key Ideas and Contributions a. This humanistic theorist is famous for his hierarchy of needs and his work on self-actualizing persons. b. This humanist called his approach a "personcentered theory." He argued that an incongruent self-concept tends to promote anxiety and defensive behavior. c. This influential behaviorist explained personality development in terms of operant conditioning, especially the process of reinforcement. d. This theorist emphasized the importance of unconscious conflicts, anxiety, defense mechanisms, and psychosexual development. e. This behaviorist sparked a robust debate about the importance of the person, as opposed to the situation, in determining behavior. f. This theorist views personality structure as a hierarchy of traits and argues that personality is heavily influenced by heredity. g. This theorist clashed with Freud and argued that the foremost source of human motivation is a striving for superiority. h. This psychodynamic theorist is famous for the concepts of the collective unconscious and archetypes. i. This theorist's social cognitive theory emphasizes observational learning and self-efficacy. Major Theorists _____Abraham Maslow

Check your recall of the principal ideas of important personality theorists covered in this chapter by matching the people listed on the left with the appropriate contributions described on the right. Fill in the letters for your choices in the spaces provided on the left. You'll find the answers in Appendix A. Key Ideas and Contributions a. This humanistic theorist is famous for his hierarchy of needs and his work on self-actualizing persons. b. This humanist called his approach a "personcentered theory." He argued that an incongruent self-concept tends to promote anxiety and defensive behavior. c. This influential behaviorist explained personality development in terms of operant conditioning, especially the process of reinforcement. d. This theorist emphasized the importance of unconscious conflicts, anxiety, defense mechanisms, and psychosexual development. e. This behaviorist sparked a robust debate about the importance of the person, as opposed to the situation, in determining behavior. f. This theorist views personality structure as a hierarchy of traits and argues that personality is heavily influenced by heredity. g. This theorist clashed with Freud and argued that the foremost source of human motivation is a striving for superiority. h. This psychodynamic theorist is famous for the concepts of the collective unconscious and archetypes. i. This theorist's social cognitive theory emphasizes observational learning and self-efficacy. Major Theorists _____Alfred Adler

Check your recall of the principal ideas of important personality theorists covered in this chapter by matching the people listed on the left with the appropriate contributions described on the right. Fill in the letters for your choices in the spaces provided on the left. You'll find the answers in Appendix A. Key Ideas and Contributions a. This humanistic theorist is famous for his hierarchy of needs and his work on self-actualizing persons. b. This humanist called his approach a "personcentered theory." He argued that an incongruent self-concept tends to promote anxiety and defensive behavior. c. This influential behaviorist explained personality development in terms of operant conditioning, especially the process of reinforcement. d. This theorist emphasized the importance of unconscious conflicts, anxiety, defense mechanisms, and psychosexual development. e. This behaviorist sparked a robust debate about the importance of the person, as opposed to the situation, in determining behavior. f. This theorist views personality structure as a hierarchy of traits and argues that personality is heavily influenced by heredity. g. This theorist clashed with Freud and argued that the foremost source of human motivation is a striving for superiority. h. This psychodynamic theorist is famous for the concepts of the collective unconscious and archetypes. i. This theorist's social cognitive theory emphasizes observational learning and self-efficacy. Major Theorists _____B. F. Skinner

Check your recall of the principal ideas of important personality theorists covered in this chapter by matching the people listed on the left with the appropriate contributions described on the right. Fill in the letters for your choices in the spaces provided on the left. You'll find the answers in Appendix A. Key Ideas and Contributions a. This humanistic theorist is famous for his hierarchy of needs and his work on self-actualizing persons. b. This humanist called his approach a "personcentered theory." He argued that an incongruent self-concept tends to promote anxiety and defensive behavior. c. This influential behaviorist explained personality development in terms of operant conditioning, especially the process of reinforcement. d. This theorist emphasized the importance of unconscious conflicts, anxiety, defense mechanisms, and psychosexual development. e. This behaviorist sparked a robust debate about the importance of the person, as opposed to the situation, in determining behavior. f. This theorist views personality structure as a hierarchy of traits and argues that personality is heavily influenced by heredity. g. This theorist clashed with Freud and argued that the foremost source of human motivation is a striving for superiority. h. This psychodynamic theorist is famous for the concepts of the collective unconscious and archetypes. i. This theorist's social cognitive theory emphasizes observational learning and self-efficacy. Major Theorists _____Hans Eysenck
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